New York, 6 July 2025:
Following an extradition request from the Indian government, officials confirmed that Nehal (also known as Neeshal) Modi, the younger brother of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, had been arrested in the United States.
While Nehal, a Belgian national and former director at Firestar Diamond BVBA, was allegedly residing in the United States, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had started the extradition process. Before India sent official extradition documents through the Ministry of Home Affairs, he was arrested in late June after Interpol issued a Red Corner Notice.
Nehal is accused of conspiring and aiding criminal breach of trust in connection with the ₹13,000 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, in which Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are major defendants. Nehal has already been charged by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act for his involvement in the payment routing process through Firestar Diamond and associated companies.
According to sources, the CBI formally requested extradition in late 2018 and has been waiting for a response from American officials. Interpol, Indian agencies, and U.S. law enforcement worked closely together to make the arrest. This action "is instrumental for the investigation and subsequent prosecution" in India's legal system, according to a CBI spokesperson.
India must present a prima facie case to satisfy the requirements of the bilateral extradition treaty when Nehal appears before a U.S. federal court in the near future. Legal experts warn that Nehal might contest the extradition on the basis of his nationality, human rights, or persecution risk, defence plans that his legal team is reportedly preparing. Now that Nehal is in custody, Indian investigators are focusing on other financial avenues that the Modi family uses. In the past, the Enforcement Directorate has retrieved 108 consignments of pearls, silver, and polished diamonds valued at ₹1,350 crore from Nirav Modi's Hong Kong warehouse, while also seizing assets worth hundreds of crores connected to the PNB case.
Amid drawn out extradition proceedings, Nirav Modi, who was arrested in London in 2019, is still being held. His transfer to India was delayed due to a "confidential impediment," according to a recent London court ruling. Uncle Mehul Choksi, meanwhile, was detained in Belgium in April and is battling extradition. An important step in breaking up the PNB fraud network has been taken with Nehal Modi's arrest. He might be subject to India's strict legal scrutiny under sections pertaining to money laundering, cheating, criminal conspiracy, and breach of trust if he is extradited.
His incarceration also establishes a precedent for the prosecution of relatives involved in extensive international financial scandals.
