MUMBAI, Nov. 22 -- A court has permitted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to auction two cars belonging to fugitive diamond trader Nirav Modi, observing that the vehicles have been lying idle for years and are at risk of substantial depreciation. The ED had sought permission to auction all three vehicles attached in earlier proceedings: a Skoda Superb Elegance, a Mercedes-Benz 4Matic FL 350 CDI and a Mercedes-Benz GLE 250. Their combined value, as reflected in the attachment orders, exceeds Rs.1 crore. The special court for cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) noted that Modi had been declared a fugitive economic offender on December 5, 2019. He had fled India in early 2018, days before FIRs were registered against him and his uncle Mehul Choksi in connection with the alleged Rs.13,850-crore fraud at the state-run Punjab National Bank. Modi is currently fighting an extradition battle in a UK court. Referring to the status of the case, special judge AV Gujarathi observed that "there is no immediate prospect of commencement of trial" as many of the accused, including Modi himself, remain absconding. He added that the attached vehicles had remained unused since their seizure and risked further loss of value, while the costs associated with maintaining them would soon outweigh their residual worth. Although the ED sought permission to dispose of all three vehicles, the court authorised the auction of only two: the Mercedes-Benz GLE 250 and, by way of re-auction, the Skoda Superb, for which an earlier sale order had been issued in March 2019. The court did not extend permission for the sale of the Mercedes-Benz 4Matic FL 350 CDI....