Agencies London 

Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's extradition battle gained a new element with India assuring the UK he won’t be “questioned” if returned to face charges in the $2 billion PNB fraud case. India submitted this sovereign guarantee ahead of Modi’s Westminster Court hearing, specifying he would be lodged in Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail, Barrack No. 12. 

This guarantee addresses previous rejections by UK courts over concerns about Indian prison conditions, a matter recently scrutinised by visiting UK Crown Prosecution Service officials. India made a similar humane conditions pledge in the case of Modi's uncle, Mehul Choksi. 

Modi, accused alongside Choksi of India’s largest bank fraud, has been held in a UK prison since 2019. Despite exhausting his legal appeals, including a failed fresh application last month, the final extradition decision hinges on these assurances. Separately, Modi’s brother-in-law, Maiank Mehta, recently became an approver in the case.