60 extradited to India In 14 years but none from UK

NEW DELHI: Vijay Mallya is the not the only Indian in UK whose extradition is being sought by Delhi. He has joined Lalit Modi, Nadeem Saifi (wanted in Gulshan Kumar murder case) and 12 others who have evaded extradition despite efforts of successive governments over the last two decades.

After UK turned down Delhi’s request for deporting Mallya citing domestic laws on the validity of his passport at the time of his entry in London, the Modi government has sought his extradition.

Three British citizens were extradited to India in 2004 and 2005 but they were transferred from US, Tanzania and Bulgaria.


Despite drawing a blank in London, India has managed extradition of 60 terrorists and fugitives from other countries, including the UAE, US, Hong Kong, Germany, Canada, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand and Portugal, between 2002 and 2015.

India has failed in UK because the legal system there provides fugitives room to resist and delay their extradition. On the other hand, in 2008, India extradited Maninderpal Singh Kohli to Britain in the Hannah Foster murder case.

The governments here have repeatedly raised the issue of pending cases of extradition with UK authorities. The matter was raised when UK Minister of State for Immigration James Brokenshire visited India this February. MoS Home Kiren Rijiju had then said India would weigh signing an agreement with the UK on exchanging information about criminals. The British minister had assured cooperation on a case-to-case basis. ED has recently moved court in Mumbai seeking extradition for Lalit Modi, whose passport was reinstated after the court order.

UK has a long history of providing refuge to those fleeing political and religious persecution, particularly from their former colonies. From the subcontinent, several Pakistani leaders have found refuge in UK. Tareque Zia, son former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia, has been in exile in London for almost a decade. Unwritten laws also protect rich fugitives in London as they bring wealth to UK, according to informed sources.