NIRAV MODI STATEMENT IN LONDON COURT I was threatened by Congress leaders to escape and run away from India I paid them a commission of Rs 456 Cr to Congress leaders @RahulGandhi is this true? If not why @KapilSibal was rushed to London when NIRAV got arrested?

The above tweet is by Gaurav Pradhan, a prominent Twitter user who has spread misinformation on multiple occasions in the past. Pradhan’s tweet has been retweeted almost 7500 times.

A screenshot of his tweet has been posted by the Facebook page India Against Presstitutes, which has a following of over 550,000. The post has been shared over 3600 times. It has also been posted by the page Presstitutes, which has been shared over 6500 times so far.

Posted by Presstitutes on Sunday, March 31, 2019

No such statement by Nirav Modi

The fact of the matter is that disgraced diamantaire Nirav Modi had not made any such statement in the London court, where a trial regarding his extradition to India is currently underway. Modi is a prime accused in the Rs.11000 crore PNB scam.

Alt News had spoken to Naomi Canton, who reports for Times of India in the UK. Canton had confirmed that Nirav Modi had not referred to what is being claimed on social media. “He (Nirav Modi) spoke just to confirm his name and gave his date of birth and address. He was asked if he consented to extradition and he said I do not consent. Other than that it was just his barrister who spoke and the CPS.”

In March 2019, a false message with regard to Nirav Modi had spread like wild fire on social media platforms. The message read, “नीरव मोदी का लंदन कोर्ट मे बयान,भागा नही हूं भगाया गया हूं जिसकी कीमत 456 करोड़ रुपए जो सरकार के मंत्रियों से लेकर भाजपा नेताओं और अफसरों मे बंटा है?? क्या इस न्यूज़ को मीडियावालों में हिम्मत है दिखाने की??”(Nirav Modi’s statement in London court, I had not run away, I had given Rs 456 crore to government ministers, BJP leaders and officials to help me escape the country. Did media have the courage to show this news? -translated).

The same message was circulated, alternatively by Congress and BJP supporters, seeking to pin the blame for Nirav Modi’s escape to the respective political parties. Needless to say, there was no basis to this claim

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About the Author

Arjun Sidharth is a writer with Alt News. He has previously worked in the television news industry, where he managed news bulletins and breaking news scenarios, apart from scripting numerous prime time television stories. He has also been actively involved with various freelance projects. Sidharth has studied economics, political science, international relations and journalism. He has a keen interest in books, movies, music, sports, politics, foreign policy, history and economics. His hobbies include reading, watching movies and indoor gaming.