Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, wanted in India to face fraud and money laundering charges, is forced to share a small prison cell with a shared desk with other inmates without access to most of his legal paperwork, the High Court in London was told on Friday.

The 54-year-old accused in the estimated $2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan scam was shifted from HMP Thameside in south London to HMP Pentonville in October to facilitate a court appearance in an unrelated debt case.

At a pre-trial review hearing for the $8-million unpaid Bank of India debt, Judge Simon Tinkler was informed that the accused sought an adjournment to the trial scheduled in January 2026 to allow more time for him to prepare his defence and witness statement.

“It seems to me that Modi would benefit from

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