Nehal Modi

Some Lesser Known Facts About Nehal Modi

• In the early 1940s, Nehal Modi’s father moved from Gujarat to Antwerp, Belgium, to expand his family’s diamond business.

• Nehal Modi was born in Antwerp, Belgium, in a Gujarati family. His father was a traditional diamond jeweller. His mother worked in interior decor.

• His family has been in the diamond and jewellery business for nearly seven generations.

  

• His maternal uncle, Mehul Choksi, is the CEO and Managing Director of Gitanjali Gems, one of the world’s largest jewellery retail companies.

  

• Between March and August 2015, Nehal Modi made false claims about a business deal with Costco Wholesale Corporation to get diamonds worth more than $2.6 million from a company called LLD (Lev Leviev Diamonds).

  

• He told LLD that the diamonds were for resale to Costco, but he did not sell them to Costco. Instead, he pawned and sold the diamonds that were not legally his, at low prices, for his own personal profit.

• On 28 January 2018, Punjab National Bank (PNB) filed an FIR against his brother, Nirav Modi, for a scam involving Rs 11,400 crore.

• On 15 July 2019, Interpol issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against Nehal Modi.

  

• On 29 July 2022, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg gave a statement about this fraud. In 2022, Nehal Modi was found guilty of Grand Larceny in the First Degree by a New York State Supreme Court jury.

  

• On 4 July 2025, he was arrested in the United States based on an extradition request from India made by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

• He was accused in the same PNB fraud case along with Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.

• Nehal was wanted in India for two charges, one under Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and another for criminal conspiracy under Sections 120B and 201 of the Indian Penal Code.

• As per the ED, Nehal Modi played a major role in helping Nirav Modi launder money. He allegedly helped in hiding and transferring illegal funds through shell companies and overseas accounts.

• The ED found that Nehal intentionally assisted in hiding the crime money and destroyed records. After the scam was exposed, Nehal took diamonds worth $6 million from Hong Kong, 150 boxes of pearls, AED 3.5 million in cash, and 50 kg of gold from Dubai, along with co-accused Mihir Bhansali.

• Nehal also tried to threaten witnesses. He allegedly sent them to Cairo, seized their passports, and forced them to sign false documents. In one case, he offered Rs 20 lakh to a witness to give false testimony in European courts.

• Nehal Modi’s next hearing in the US for extradition was scheduled for 17 July 2025. He may apply for bail, which the US prosecutors are expected to oppose.