Billionaire fugitive diamond tycoon Nirav Modi was spotted on a street in London by a reporter of British newspaper The Telegraph.
The newspaper shared a video of the interview with Modi, who is wanted in India in a bank fraud case and has been “missing” for over a year now. The businessman is wanted in India in a Rs 13,000 crore bank fraud case. An Interpol red notice was issued for his arrest.
The 48-year-old Modi – whose diamond jewellery has been won by Hollywood stars – was asked several times by the reporter various questions ranging from how long he planned to stay in Britain, what he was doing at the moment – were all met with the same “no comment” reply from Nirav Modi.
Sporting a handlebar moustache and wearing an expensive jacket that The Telegraph reported was made of ostrich hide and costing at least £10,000, Nirav Modi is seen in the video trying to stop cabs several times and eventually got into one and left.
The reporter asked him whether he had started a diamond business under a new name, but Modi did not comment.
In its story “Exclusive: India’s most wanted man Nirav Modi – accused of £1.5bn fraud – living openly in London”, The Telegraph reported that the newspaper had tracked him down to his apartment in London’s West End.
The report said that Modi was “now involved in a new diamond business run from an office in Soho”.
Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are the prime accused in the Punjab National Bank scam involving fake guarantees. Both had left India last year and while Choksi’s whereabouts are known (he holds citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda and has said he is unwell and afraid to return to India for fear he might be lynched) nothing was known about Nirav Modi so far.
The Telegraph newspaper quoted government sources to report that Modi had been given a national insurance number that is required to legally work in the UK. He also has been operating bank accounts online.
Reacting to the video, Congress tweeted: “Journalists of The Telegraph managed to track down Nirav Modi. Why was the Modi Govt unable to do so? Who is Modi trying to protect? Himself, Nirav Modi or the people who let him escape?”
[Cover photograph: screenshot of video shot by The Telegraph]
