Joint CBI-NIA-ED team to head to UK to expedite extradition of fugutives: Report
A high-level delegation is set to depart for the UK to expedite the extradition of India's most wanted fugitives. The mission aims to identify and seize their assets, especially in the UK, and discussions are planned with UK authorities to obtain pending information on the fugitives' holdings.
FollowA top-tier team comprising officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is set to depart for the United Kingdom to expedite the extradition process of India's most wanted fugitives. Among the prominent figures targeted are defence dealer Sanjay Bhandari, diamond trader Nirav Modi, and Kingfisher Airlines promoter Vijay Mallya. The mission aims to identify and take possession of their alleged ill-gotten gains, including properties scattered across the UK and other countries.
Sources cited by The Times of India reveal that a senior foreign ministry official will lead the delegation, with scheduled meetings arranged by the Indian High Commission in London to engage with UK authorities. The discussions seek to obtain pending information on the assets held by the fugitives in London, accompanied by details of their banking transactions.
Bhandari, an arms dealer with close ties to Robert Vadra, the husband of Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, fled in 2016 amidst investigations by income tax and ED into multiple defence deals negotiated during the UPA regime. The ED asserts that Bhandari acquired properties in London and Dubai, subsequently transferring them to shell companies controlled by C C Thampi, an alleged associate of Vadra.
Extradition proceedings for Bhandari, Nirav Modi, and Mallya remain pending in the UK, with all three individuals having appealed against their deportation to India. The ED has already attached their properties in India, and substantial amounts have been realized by selling Mallya and Modi's assets, returning thousands of crores to the banks against their outstanding debts.
The Times of India reports that the delegation heading to London plans to engage in bilateral discussions regarding the exchange of long-pending information under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT). Both India and the UK are signatories to the MLAT, obligating them to share information on criminal investigations involving economic offenders and others. The NIA team is concurrently involved in probing several terror suspects linked to the Khalistani movement.
While the Union Home Ministry typically oversees all matters related to MLAT, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is actively engaged in diplomatic efforts with the UK in this case, as all requests are routed through the MEA when involving foreign countries.
Nirav Modi is sought in connection with an alleged fraud exceeding Rs 6,500 crore related to Punjab National Bank funds, while assets totaling over Rs 5,000 crore belonging to Mallya have been attached and confiscated for bank swindling. The ED is conducting investigations into alleged payoffs received by Bhandari, Thampi, and Vadra in multiple defence deals. Bhandari's properties worth over Rs 26 crore have already been attached in India, and the ED has filed charges against him, with a special court declaring him a fugitive economic offender, akin to Mallya and Modi.
