
© Reuters / Francis MascarenhasIndian protesters burn an image of billionaire jeweler Nirav Modi in Mumbai
The British government seems to be turning a blind eye to India's most wanted fraudster, Nirav Modi, who found a safe harbor in London, despite an Interpol Red Notice and Indian authorities' demands for his arrest and extradition.
Fugitive billionaire Nirav Modi is lavishly living in the open in London, despite being wanted back home for an alleged £2bn ($2.6bn) scam against India's Punjab National Bank (PNB),
the Telegraph has reported, after tracking down the elusive businessman.
"Modi was given a National Insurance number in recent months by the Department for Work & Pensions and has been able to operate online bank accounts in the UK while wanted by Indian authorities," the publication reports, citing a well-placed source in the government.
If the allegations are true, the UK would effectively be harboring a man who has been placed on Interpol's Red Notice list last July. India authorities in the past said that Modi was seen in the UK after fleeing the country last year, yet London failed to act on the world-wide police alert requesting a provisional arrest of the fugitive, pending extradition proceedings.
Comment: Links thoughtfully provided by Paul Craig Roberts: