Nirav Modi in UK, CBI seeks extradition
New Delhi, Aug 20 : Fugitive diamond jeweller Nirav Modi, wanted in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, is in the United Kingdom, the Interpol has confirmed, prompting the CBI to seek his extradition, officials said on Monday.
According to a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official, the UK authorities confirmed Nirav Modi's presence in the country on Sunday through a mail on the basis of the diffusion notice issued against him by the probe agency to the Interpol.
The official also said the CBI sent an extradition request to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday.
"The Home Ministry has also been requested to move its extradition request to the Ministry of External Affairs and through the MEA to the UK authority."
Earlier on August 2, Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh informed Parliament that the government had sent a request to the UK for extraditing Nirav Modi.
On July 2, the Interpol had issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against Nirav Modi under money laundering charges levelled by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Nirav Modi along with his uncle Mehul Choksi of the Gitanjali group is being probed in the fraud case by the CBI and the ED.
The ED had, on May 24 and May 26, filed prosecution complaints or chargesheets against Choksi and Modi. The court has taken cognizance of the chargesheets and issued non-bailable warrants against both of them.
Nirav Modi left India along with his family in the first week of January, weeks before the scam was reported to the CBI. His wife Ami, a US citizen, left on January 6 and Choksi on January 4.
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Catholic Bishops' body slams Bhagwat's remarks
New Delhi: The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India on Thursday slammed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his reported remark that Pranab Mukherjee, when he was President, had said tribals would turn "anti-national" if there is no "ghar wapsi"Catholic Bishops.'
In a statement issued here, CBCI, a body of Catholic Bishops, referred to reports which said Bhagwat, at an event on Monday, claimed that Mukherjee, while he was President had appreciated ghar wapsi and told him that had it not been for the Sangh's work on reconversion, a section of Adivasis would have turned "anti-national".The CBCI called the report "shocking".
"Fabricated personal conversation being attributed to a former president of India and its posthumous publication with the vested interest of an organization with questionable credibility raises a grave issue of national importance," the CBCI claimed.
"Is it not the violent ghar wapsi program of VHP and other similar organizations, curtailing the exercise of freedom of conscience of economically deprived tribals, the real anti-national activity?" it asked.
'Ghar wapsi' is a term used by the RSS and affiliated organisations to refer to reconversion of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism, based on the belief that they were originally Hindus before converting to other religions.
The CBCI also questioned why Bhagwat did not speak about it while Mukherjee was alive.
"We, the 2.3 percent of Indian citizens who are Christians feel extremely hurt by such manipulated and motivated propaganda unleashed," it said.
In a post on X following the statement issued by CBCI, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said, "Speak up. This is a start!"
"Bishops body have issued a statement condemning remarks made by Dr Mohan Bhagwat and RSS for defaming the Christian community," he said.
O'Brien added that they should ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi more questions, including why Christmas Day has been turned into "Good Governance Day".
The TMC leader, in a blogpost earlier this month, had said "hard questions" must be asked to the government with regards to the Christian community, including why the FCRA has been 'weaponised', and why has Manipur been 'ignored'.
