Former UK Home Secretary Priti Patel stated in a podcast that the Indian government declined to accept illegal immigrants from Britain due to the ongoing delay in extraditing Nirav Modi, who remains in a London prison. Patel spoke on the four-part series Diamond King, produced by Daily Telegraph journalists who first reported Modi’s presence in the UK in 2019. She approved his extradition in 2021 but expressed frustration that the process has not concluded. Patel noted that Indian officials were deeply displeased with the lack of progress and responded by limiting cooperation on returning Indian nationals who had entered the UK unlawfully. She described difficulties in securing agreement for failed asylum seekers and attributed the resistance to the high-profile extradition case. Patel also criticized the extended legal procedures that have kept Modi in Britain, calling the situation an abuse of the system and a burden on taxpayers. Modi, aged 55, faces charges related to a large-scale bank fraud and money laundering. His appeals, including a final attempt at the European Court of Human Rights, have been rejected, and extradition is now considered likely. Patel argued that he should serve any sentence in India under established legal agreements.
