Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai (SR)

Mumbai, Jun 16: According to reports submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to a London court, fugitives Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya will be staying in a prison cell that has all the facilities that is available in a high end studio apartment. The prison cell will have facilities such as large French windows reaching up to the ceiling, round-the-clock water supply, cushioned cots, fans, and lights alongside stunning white walls will be provided to Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya inside the 300 sqft jail cell at Arthur Road prison, when they are extradited to India.

Following the UK High Court’s rejection on diamond merchant Nirav Modi’s bail plea, prison officials confirmed that they were having a high end inspection over security arrangements for a fully-equipped cell that has ‘facilities similar to a studio apartment’, as per Hindustan Times report.

Absconding diamond merchant Nirav Modi was denied bail by a UK court on Wednesday for the fourth time in his extradition case to India to face charges in the Punjab National Bank fraud and money laundering case amounting to up to US$ 2 billion.

As per HT report, a top source in the prisons department said the Inspector-General Deepak Pandey and team had conducted a ‘thorough inspection’ of Cell no. 2 in Barrack 12. “The inspection was meant to ensure all boarding and security arrangements in the cell are in place,” the official said.

“It is a fully-equipped, secure prison cell with facilities similar to a studio apartment.” Pandey confirmed.

Though there is a rule to put minimum 3 persons in each cell, sources confirmed Cell no. 2 will only house Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya, whose extradition case is also in progress in a London court.

The officials who are involved in setting up the prison said, “While each of these cells is meant to be shared by three inmates, we have decided to restrict the number of inmates in Cell no.2 to just Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya.”

The Arthur Road jail has infamous record of housing notorious names from the underworld and terror outfits that include Ajmal Kasab, Abu Salem, Chota Rajan, Abu Jundal, Mustafa Dossa, Peter Mukherjea, and PNB-fraud accused Vipul Ambani.