November 7, 2022
2 mins read

UK court approves fugitive Sanjay Bhandari’s extradition

Mallya’s extradition was cleared by the UK high court in April 2020 but has since been held up because he has applied for asylum…reports Asian Lite News

In a third such high-profile extradition win for India in UK – after Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi –  a London court has ordered the extradition of fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari to India, media reported.

“As I am satisfied that extradition is compatible with the defendant’s Convention rights, I must send this case to the Secretary of State [Suella Braverman] for a decision as to whether the defendant is to be extradited,” district judge Michael Snow at the Westminster’s Magistrates’ Court in London said, while ordering Bhandari’s extradition and sending the reference to the home secretary.

“However, I only do so on the basis of the assurances that have been provided by the (Indian) government,” the judge said. The Indian government assured the court that Bhandari will be held in a separate cell at Tihar Jail in New Delhi with adequate access to health care while he faces trial in India, the Hindustan Times reported.

However, Bhandari has the option to challenge this decision in the UK high court, which will pave the way for long delay in the extradition like in the case of Mallya and Modi.

Mallya’s extradition was cleared by the UK high court in April 2020 but has since been held up because he has applied for asylum. A Westminster court ordered Modi’s extradition in February 2021, which he has challenged in the UK high court.

During the proceedings against Bhandari, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) of the UK, which has successfully argued India’s cases, stated that the businessman’s conduct amounts to “fraud by false representation” in British jurisdiction. The charges were described by Bhandari’s legal team as “political witch-hunt” and “baseless”.

Bhandari, 60, is under investigation by multiple agencies , including the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Income Tax department and Delhi Police for money laundering , violation of the foreign exchange act , the black money act, and the official secrets act for having access to sensitive defence documents, the HT reported.

Bhandari fled to the UK via Nepal in December 2016.

ALSO READ: Chinese envoy pitches for resumption of flights between India, China  

Previous Story

India issues advisory for its medical students in China

Next Story

Modi to unveil logo, website of India’s G20 Presidency

Latest from -Top News

Awami League Slams ‘Fascist’ Yunus

The videos from the protest shared on the party’s social media page showed several party activists marching through the streets of Dhaka in support of Hasina…reports Asian Lite News Hundreds of Awami

India Evacuates Students from Tehran

The Ministry also said that the Indian Embassy is continuously in touch with the community to provide all feasible assistance….reports Asian Lite News Amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, India has

Trump: Get Out of Tehran Now!

The US President also announced that he would cut short his visit to the Group of 7 (G7) summit in Canada to closely monitor the situation …reports Asian Lite News US President

UN Slams Bangladesh’s Party Ban Law

UN noted that prohibiting political parties would hinder a genuine transition to multiparty democracy…reports Asian Lite News UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk has voiced deep concern over recent legislative changes enacted

Iran Hits Key Israeli Oil Facility

Three company employees were killed in the pre-dawn attack on Monday night, which ignited fires at the strategic complex….reports Asian Lite News Bazan, Israel’s largest oil refinery company, announced that all of
Go toTop

Don't Miss

‘India tried to help out in Russia-Ukraine conflict’

Jaishankar also said that India has supported others who are

AWS to invest $12.7 bn into India’s cloud infra

This investment is estimated to contribute Rs 1,94,700 crore ($23.3