London: Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, fighting extradition to India on charges over the nearly USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case, is to be produced for a regular remand hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Thursday. The 48-year-old, who has been lodged at Wandsworth Prison in south-west London, will appear via videolink from prison. His extradition trial is scheduled for five days starting May 11, with the case management hearings in the case set to begin soon.

Modi had made a last-ditch bail application in November last year with an "unprecedented" house arrest guarantee, akin to those imposed on terrorist suspects, as well as citing mental health issues from being behind bars at Wandsworth since his arrest in March 2019. But the bail plea was turned down by Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot over continued fears of witness intimidation and failure to surrender before the court for his extradition trial this year.