Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi faces custodial torture risk, UK High Court told

New Delhi: Former Indian Supreme Court Justice (retd) Deepak Verma told the UK High Court that fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi "faces not only the certainty of prolonged custodial interrogation by multiple agencies, but also a substantial and ongoing risk of custodial torture." The former SC Judge furnished an "independent expert opinion" to the UK High Court in response to Nirav Modi's plea seeking to reopen his extradition appeal which was dismissed by the UK High Court on Wednesday.

In a detailed "expert opinion" running into 136 pages, reviewed by ET, Justice (retd) Verma told the UK High Court that "despite constitutional guarantees of life and personal liberty, and repeated judicial pronouncements prescribing safeguards against abuse of power by law enforcement agencies, the reality of custodial torture in India continues to remain systemic and deeply entrenched."

On the question of Nirav Modi's probable custodial torture, Justice Verma submitted "in my considered view, there exists a high probability that individuals subjected to detention and interrogation by police or other investigating bodies face a genuine risk of custodial ill-treatment. In the specific case of Nirav Modi, the statutory framework permitting custodial interrogation of economic offenders, makes it inevitable to conclude that Nirav Modi faces not only the certainty of prolonged custodial interrogation by multiple agencies, but also a substantial and ongoing risk of custodial torture".