Team Blitz India
INDIA and the United Kingdom discussed the need for expediting action under mutual legal assistance treaty and prioritisation of extradition requests relating to fugitives.
The issue came up for discussion during the meeting of a UK delegation led by Stephen Kavanagh with officials of India’s premier investigation agency Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in New Delhi recently. The team was accompanied by representatives from the UK National Crime Agency and the UK Home Office.
Intelligence-sharing and fight against financial crimes, terrorism, and cybercrime were the centre of the discussion. With mutual zeal, both sides the anticipate strengthening cooperation, highlighting their shared commitment to tackling global crime threats head-on.
A number of fugitives from India, including former Kingfisher Airlines promoter Vijay Mallya, diamantaire Nirav Modi, and arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, besides separatists rom Punjab and wanted terrorist sympahisers are reportedly based in the UK and their extradition is being pursued by India’s investigating agencies.
Unwavering determination
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unwavering determination to bring these offenders to justice has been a driving force behind India’s relentless pursuit. His vocal stance on extradition matters, raised consistently in India-UK trade meetings, underscores the gravity of the issue.
The UK Government has pledged full cooperation in this endeavour, aligning with PM Modi’s stance. However, these offenders have exploited the UK’s robust humanitarian laws to evade justice, prompting stern remarks from British officials.
Last year, British Minister of State for Security, Tom Tugendhat, affirmed the UK’s unwavering stance against becoming a safe haven for fugitives, stressing the necessity for due legal process.
“We both (the UK and India) have legal processes that must be gone through. But the UK government is absolutely clear, we have no intention of becoming a place where those who are seeking to evade justice can hide,” the minister said.
India’s proactive pursuit of their extradition has faced legal challenges in UK courts, yet recent developments suggest a turning tide. The enactment of the Economic Offenders Act has seen assets worth over $1.8 billion recovered in the past four years. Additionally, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act has facilitated the attachment of assets totalling over 12 billion US Dollars since 2014.
Moreover, the exponential surge in the count of criminals and fugitives returning, with 27 in 2022 and 18 in 2021, serves as a testament to India’s escalating triumph in this pursuit. The augmented collaboration in policing, sparked by the 90th Interpol General Assembly in 2022, has further fortified India’s endeavours on the global platform.
