Billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi, who is currently in Britain requesting political asylum, has raised the ire of Indian officials. Authorities are reported to be furious that the 47 year old was able to travel in and out of Britain at least four times since his passport was cancelled in February. “Why are they always ending up in London? It's as if the UK is a safe haven,” an official said. Have fled the country over an alleged £1.5 billion banking fraud, Modi's presence in the UK has the capacity to seriously rupture the British government's attempts to strike a post-Brexit trade deal with India.
Both, Modi and uncle Mehul Choksi are accused of benefiting from a huge fraud against the Punjab National Bank. An Indian court has issued warrants for the arrest of both men. Indian authorities revoked his passport on February 23, and contacted the Interpol and UK government after. However, official records show that Modi travelled from Heathrow to Hong Kong on March 15, and from New York to Heathrow on March 28. Three days after, he flew from Hong Kong to Paris. Modi is said to have boarded the Eurostar from London to Brussels on June 12.
The Home Office (HO) and Border Force declined to discuss individual cases. The HO said, “All passengers attempting to enter the UK are subject to checks by Border Force officers to identify people of concern. Border Force works with international partners to ensure the most up-to-date information is available.”
