Several fugitives including Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya may soon face extradition to India. British officials recently inspected conditions in Tihar Jail as New Delhi intensified efforts to ensure their return. Prison conditions have been a sticking point over the years — with British courts repeatedly citing it as a reason to reject extradition petitions.
According to an ANI report quoting sources, a team from the British Crown Prosecution Service had visited the jail and interacted with inmates. They had inspected the high-security ward of Tihar and spoke with the prisoners in the area. Jail officials had reportedly assured that a special “enclave” could be built on the premises if needed for high-profile inmates to stay safe. The Indian government has also given a separate guarantee to Britain that no accused will be illegally interrogated in jail.
An India Today report added that the visit reportedly took place in July and included representatives from the British High Commission.
Who does India want to extradite from UK?
Union Minister Nityanand Rai told the Lok Sabha in December 2024 that India had made 178 extradition requests to various countries over the past five years. Only 23 of these Individuals had been returned while diplomatic efforts remained underway in several other cases. A majority of the petitions submitted by investigative agencies were pending before the US government while around 20 were stuck in Britain.
New Delhi is hoping to extradite several arms dealers and operatives with Khalistani links who are currently residing in the UK. This includes liquor baron Vijay Mallya and diamond merchant Nirav Modi. Other prominent personalities include lalit Modi, Mehul Choksi, arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari and several individuals linked to ‘terror’ groups.
India ‘making the case’ with UK
India had brought up the extradition issue with British authorities in July as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited UK for the signing of a Free Trade Agreement. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had also revealed during a press briefing ahead of the trip that New Delhi continued to “make the case” for extradition of various fugitives.