UK Court rejects Nirav Modi's bail plea for the third time, furthers police remand till May 24

The UK's Westminster Court on April 26 further remanded fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi until May 24, rejecting his bail plea for the third time now.

48-year-old Nirav has been lodged in Wandsworth prison in south-west London since he was arrested by the UK Police on April 11. Westminster Magistrates’ Court Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot, in a brief hearing today, further remanded the prime accused in the Rs 19,000 crore PNB scam till May 24, declaring the next hearing to be held on May 30.

Meanwhile, a dozen luxury cars belonging to Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi have been auctioned, fetching the government exchequer Rs 3.29 crore, the ED said on April 26.

The vehicles were attached by the agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the past.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had in March obtained the permission of a special PMLA court in Mumbai for auctioning 13 cars of the Modi-Choksi duo as part of its money laundering probe in the USD 2 billion alleged bank loan fraud.

The e-auction was carried out by Metal Scrap Trade Corporation (MSTC) Ltd, it said in a statement.

"There are 13 vehicles (11 belonging to Nirav Modi group and 2 belonging to Mehul Choksi group) put on e-auction through MSTC platform on April 25.

"Out of these 13 vehicles, twelve (10 of Nirav Modi group and 2 of Mehul Choksi group) were successfully bided for a total amount of Rs 3,28,94,293," it said.

The Income Tax Department had last month auctioned several art works that were owned by absconding diamond merchant Nirav Modi for Rs 59.37 crore.

The ED and the CBI are investigating Nirav Modi, his uncle Choksi and others for alleged money laundering and corruption to perpetrate the alleged scam in the Brady House branch of the PNB in Mumbai that was unearthed last year.

While Nirav Modi has been arrested in London recently and India is seeking his extradition, Choksi is said to be in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and a similar legal action against him is on too.

With inputs from PTI