India pushes UK for faster extraditions

Sood is learnt to have conveyed to Jarvis that since UK courts have already cleared the extraditions of Mallya, Modi and Bhandari, they need to be sent to India so that they can be prosecuted.

To be sure, while Mallya’s extradition was cleared by the UK high court in April 2020, the British government has not signed off on it citing “secret proceedings”, likely a request for asylum. In Nirav Modi’s case, his extradition was ordered by Westminster’s court in February 2021, after which he lost a case on this in the high court of justice in London. He has not been granted permission to appeal before the Supreme Court. Bhandari’s extradition was ordered by Westminster’s court in November 2022 and he has approached the high court against the decision.

“The issue of delayed extraditions was raised during the only bilateral meeting the Indian delegation had on the sidelines of Interpol’s 92nd General Assembly in Glasgow from November 4 to 7. The CBI chief urged the UK minister to expedite extraditions of around two dozen fugitives wanted by India including big three (Mallya, Modi and Bhandari) as they are involved in financial frauds involving public funds and need to face Indian courts,” said an officer at the agency familiar with the matter who asked not to be named.

This officer added that Jarvis’ response was that UK legal system has to follow the laid down process.

Apart from the big three, others wanted by Indian agencies from the UK include Iqbal Mirchi’s wife Hajra Memon and their sons, Junaid Iqbal Memon and Asif Iqbal Memon, and several pro-Khalistan operatives.

During the meeting, Jarvis sought India’s help in dealing with large number of cyber frauds being committed on British citizens by Indian nationals, who are operating from some southeast Asian countries and with cases of online child sexual abuse, said a second officer familiar with the meeting.

Indian agencies have taken a lead in both –– cybercrimes and online child sexual abuse –– and have registered several cases in last several years. The US, some west Asian countries, and several European countries have sought India’s assistance in tackling cybercrimes, the officials said.

According to data compiled by CBI, over 200 fugitives involved in financial frauds, terrorism, drugs smuggling, cyber crimes, etc, have fled abroad in last few years and efforts are being made to get them through extradition or deportation route.

The anti-corruption probe agency, in 2023 alone, coordinated the return of at least 29 fugitives; in all around 75 fugitives have been brought back since 2021.

Some of the fugitives repatriated from foreign countries in last three years include Subhash Shankar Parab (a close confidante of diamantaire Nirav Modi, who was deported from Cairo in April last year), Harpreet Singh alias Happy Malaysia (the alleged main conspirator behind the December 2021 Ludhiana court bomb blast; brought back from Kuala Lumpur) and Bikramjit Singh alias Bikkar Panjwar (a pro-Khalistan operative who was behind 2019 Tarn Taran bomb blast in Punjab and was brought back from Vienna in December 2022).

Interpol data shows that there are currently 277 people wanted by India against whom red notices – international arrest warrants – are pending.