February 2027
The criminal trial of five former top executives from the collapsed law firm Axiom Ince has now been scheduled.
The group, comprising the firm’s former chief executive and director Pragnesh Modhwadia, 41, co-director Shyam Mistry, 35, chief financial officer Muhammad Ali, 42, chief technology officer Rupesh Karawadra, 40, and vice president of IT Jayesh Anjaria, 46, will face trial in February 2027.
They appeared in Southwark Crown Court yesterday, and face a range of charges including fraud and forgery.
During the hearing Ali denied two counts of fraud and a third count of conspiracy to use false instruments, with the other four defendants not entering pleas at this stage.
Modhwadia and Mistry are both charged with two counts of fraud by abuse of position, and with conspiring to conceal, destroy or dispose of documents relevant to a Solicitors Regulation Authority investigation into the firm. Karawadra and Anjaria are charged as part of the conspiracy.
All of the defendants are also charged with conspiring to mislead the SRA using false documents.
The preliminary trial estimate suggests a length of 8-10 weeks, with each defendant released on conditional bail. The decision to prosecute the firm’s leaders came in December last year, with the Serious Fraud Office leading the charge.