Fugitive businessman Nirav Modi is transferred out of rat-infested Wandsworth prison

LONDON: Fugitive businessman Nirav Modi, who stands accused of carrying out the largest fraud on Punjab National Bank in its history, has been transferred out of one of the most overcrowded, filthy and rat-infested prisons in Britain to London’s only private prison.
Nirav (52) has been transferred from HMP Wandsworth to HMP Thameside,in Greenwich. Built in March 2012, it is run by Serco.In its most recent inspection report, the prison was criticised for locking up prisoners for 23.5 hours per day and offering few activities.
However the same report states that “prisoners live in a clean and decent environment and appreciate having a telephone in their cell”.
This contrasts to the recent inspection report on HMP Wandsworth, described as “very overcrowded, with many prisoners living in very poor conditions” where violence was increasing and large amounts of rubbish attracted vermin.
Around 40 prisoners were transferred out of HMP Wandsworth “as a precautionary measure” to aid the investigation into the escape of the prisoner Daniel Khalife, who had escaped from HMP Wandsworth on September 6 but was later caught.
Nirav was due to appear at Barkingside magistrates court last week to answer why he has still not paid the legal costs of £150,247 (a little over Rs 1.5 crore) for his appeal against extradition in the high court in November 2022, which he lost. His hearing did not go ahead as the court had not been informed of his prison transfer and so did not have the video link set up with HMP Thameside.
Nirav was refused permission to appeal his extradition at the Supreme Court in December 2022, meaning he should have been extradited within 28 days but remains locked up in a British prison as his extradition cannot take place owing to a secret legal issue.