After numerous reports suggested that the absconding celebrity jeweller may be hiding in Hong Kong, a new twist has emerged on his current whereabouts. The investigative agencies looking for Nirav Modi have found that the fugitive diamantaire traversed across West Asia, East Asia, Europe and America within four months.
Nirav Modi left India in the first week of January, before the CBI started investigating allegations that he had secured thousands of crores in loans he never paid back using fake guarantees supplied by officials of the Punjab National Bank (PNB).
Sources say the billionaire went from Mumbai to the UAE, then to Hong Kong and london. He left the UK in March and is now in New York.
"He left India on January 1. On February 2 he left UAE and on February 14 he left Hong Kong. We have evidence with us to prove that he travelled on these dates to these countries. We will be presenting it all to the host country soon," an official revealed.
This means Nirav Modi had left when India requested Hong Kong authorities in March to arrest him and hand him over based on an extradition agreement of 1997.
"Our mission has informed that the Department of Justice of Hong Kong are still examining our request for provisional order of arrest of Nirav Modi. We are awaiting response from the Hong Kong authorities," said foreign ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on April 12.
The request, according to the government's written reply in parliament, was made on March 23.