new Delhi: There is a sudden renewed effort over the last week to get Nirav Modi back to India. News18 has learnt of meetings being held regularly in the Ministry of External Affairs in a bid to trace the fugitive diamantaire.
Last week Ministry of External Affairs officials held a meeting with CBI and ED officials on SOPs. During this meeting questions were raised as to how Nirav Modi was globe-trotting despite his passport being revoked in February by the ministry.
Sources have told News 18 that arrests cannot be made solely on passport cancellations. Many countries do not honour passport cancellation. However, they do honour a Red Corner Notice (RCN) by the Interpol which is yet to be acquired by the agencies. An Interpol RCN is the internationally recognised procedure to apprehend proclaimed offenders.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale held a meeting on Tuesday specifically on the issue of Nirav Modi. Fresh note verbales have been issued to three European countries where India believes Nirav Modi could be hiding. The three countries are UK, Belgium and France.
The Ministry is in touch with these countries having requested them for information on the Nirav Modi’s whereabouts.
Sources say there are two options for nabbing Nirav Modi. The first and most feasible option is to acquire a Red Corner Notice from Interpol. They say the agencies armed with a revoked passport, court notices and other evidence against Nirav Modi can push Interpol to act. It is in this procedure that cancellation of his passport will help.
The other option is to trace Nirav Modi's exact location. Once there is certainty about his location, India can move for his extradition depending on whether the country has a mutual legal assistance or extradition treaty with that particular country. This too will be done by the Ministry of External Affairs only on a request by the investigating agencies.
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