Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi was today further remanded into custody till May 24 by a UK court hearing his extradition case in the $1 billion Punjab National Bank fraud and money-laundering case.

Nirav Modi, who has been behind bars at Wandsworth prison in south-west London since his arrest last month, appeared in Westminster Magistrates’ Court of Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot via videolink from the jail.

“Mr Modi, you will be back for another short hearing via videolink on May 24, with a full hearing in the case planned for May 30 when you will be produced in person,” Judge Arbuthnot told the diamantaire.