Ex-SC judge provides opinion for Nirav Modi’s extradition petition

Justice (retired) Deepak Verma, a former Supreme Court judge, has provided an expert opinion on behalf of Nirav Modi, based on which the fugitive businessman has recently sought to reopen his extradition proceedings in London, people familiar with the development said.

- Neeraj Chauhan

Verma is learnt to have supported Modi's plea, in which the jailed diamantaire claimed that ifextradited, he could be interrogated by multiple agencies and would not receive a fair trial in India’s judicial system, according to an officer who requested anonymity.

The former SC judge, who also served as Chief Justice of the Rajasthan high court, previously appeared as an expert witness for Vijay Mallya in a bankruptcy case in London filed by Indian banks led by the State Bank of India. The former liquor baron lost the bankruptcy proceedings in April this year.

“The expert witness has questioned our jails and judicial system to back fugitive Modi’s case,” said the officer cited above, referring to Verma’s testimony. When contacted, Verma declined to comment, saying, “I don’t comment on ongoing matters.” As first reported by HT on September 19, Modi’s plea to reopen the extradition proceedings was accepted by a Westminster court in August this year, with a hearing scheduled for November 23.