Nirav Modi Gets Permission By UK High Court To Appeal On Depression, Suicide Risk Grounds

A High Court judge in London has granted fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi permission to appeal against a magistrates’ court order in favor of extradition to India to face charges of fraud and money laundering before the Indian courts on mental health and human rights grounds.

“At this stage, the question for me is simply whether the appellant’s case on these grounds is reasonably arguable. In my judgment, it is. I will grant permission to appeal on Grounds 3 and 4,” Justice Chamberlain’s ruling notes.

The judge noted that the



arguments made under both grounds overlap in this case as they both rely principally on the appellant, Nirav Modi's mental ill-health.

“I will not restrict the basis on which those grounds can be argued, though it seems to me that there should be a particular focus on whether the judge was wrong to reach the conclusion he did, given the evidence as to the severity of the appellant’s [Nirav Modi’s] depression, the high risk of suicide and the adequacy of any measures capable of preventing successful suicide attempts in Arthur Road prison,” the ruling notes.