File Photo: Fugitive Nirav Modi

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate has denied reports that UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) had ever communicated to Indian authorities about Nirav Modi ’s presence in UK in March last year and said that the extradition request was sent by the agency only in July after filing of chargesheet against the accused and when the Interpol had issued a Red Corner Notice against him.

“In fact, the National Central Bureau of UK, which is the nodal agency for matters relating to Red Corner Notice (RCN), had in June asked ED to provide them with intelligence suggesting that Nirav Modi is in UK,” the agency said.

No such formal or informal communication was received by ED from UK authorities in March, 2018 or at a later date informing that Nirav Modi was in UK, the officer added.

The consistent stand of the UK government regarding execution of arrest warrant is that it can be done only through an extradition request for which filing of chargesheet is mandatory. The extradition request cannot be sent at the stage of investigation.

The ED had filed its first chargesheet against Nirav Modi on May 24, 2018 and an open ended NBW was issued on June 21 after taking cognizance of the chargesheet. Simultaneously, a request was made by ED for issue of RCN against Modi. The RCN was issued on June 29, 2018 by Interpol. Thereafter request for extradition was sent to the UK government on July 31, 2018, said a press note issued by the agency.

