India on Wednesday welcomed the arrest of bank fraud accused Nirav Modi by British authorities in London, and said it was engaged with the UK for his extradition at the earliest.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India continued to actively follow up with the UK the case of Modi’s extradition to India.

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“We welcome the fact that Nirav Modi has been arrested by the United Kingdom authorities pursuant to the arrest warrant issued by the Westminster Magistrate Court,” Kumar said.

“Government of India continues to actively follow up this matter with the authorities concerned in the UK, with a view to have Nirav Modi extradited to India at the earliest,” he said.

Nirav Modi’s arrest comes days after the UK recently referred India’s request for extraditing bank-fraud accused businessman to a court for initiating legal proceedings against the diamantaire after finding his case “fit for extradition”.

Nirav Modi’s bail plea was rejected by a London Court and now he will remain in custody till March 29.

A UK court had on Monday issued an arrest warrant against Modi following a request forwarded by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for his extradition.

British daily The Telegraph had earlier spotted Modi walking on the London streets and reported that he was living in a swanky 8 million pound apartment in West End and was now involved in a new diamond business.

Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are under probe by both the CBI and the ED, which has till date attached properties worth Rs 4,765 crore of Choksi and Nirav Modi.

Both left India in January last year before the CBI started investigating the PNB scam.

According to investigating officials, Modi had left India on January 1, 2018, much before the CBI received a complaint from Punjab National Bank (PNB) on January 29, 2018, about the fraud.

Choksi, the Indian promoter of Gitanjali jewellery chain, left on January 6, added the officials.