Nirav Modi misused 13 cos in UAE

New Delhi: Indian fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi used 13 companies in the UAE and six in Hong Kong for the purpose of round tripping money, the prosecution told a London court on the first day of the five-day trial on his extradition.

The jeweller, who was arrested by Scotland Yard in the UK in March 2019 on an extradition warrant by India over charges of fraud and money laundering, attended the court using a videolink from his prison in Wandsworth, London. He has been denied bail five times so far.

The businessman has also applied for political asylum in the UK, sources said. Indian investigative agencies Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED), seeking Nirav Modi's extradition are being represented by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in the UK.