Nirav Modi set to appear before UK court

London: Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi is set to appear before a UK court on Thursday regarding his extradition charges and will likely be informed of the dates of the hearings.

The court had in July extended the judicial custody of Nirav Modi till August 22 in connection with the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case.

The 48-year-old businessman, wanted in India, was arrested from Holborn here on March 19. Since then he has been fighting extradition proceedings.

Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation after the PNB alleged that they cheated it of Rs 13,500 crore with the involvement of some bank employees.

Modi also faces charges under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act. The ED has filed a chargesheet against Choksi in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act Court in Mumbai.

Both fled India before details of the fraud emerged in January 2018.