British Home Secretary Suella Braverman has ordered the extradition of arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, an accused middleman and consultant in arms deals, to India where is set to face charges of tax evasion and money laundering. Bhandari, an accused in cases of money laundering and tax evasion, has 14 days to appeal against the order in the administrative division of the High Court in London, reported news agency PTI.

Indian authorities have moved two extradition requests against Bhandari, 60. In November 2022, the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London ruled in favour of Bhandari’s extradition. It was following this order that paved way for the UK government to clear his extradition.

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District Judge Michael Snow, who heard the case last year, had concluded that there are no bars to him being extradited and decided to send the case to the Indian-origin Home Secretary Suella Braverman. The judge concluded a prima facie case had been established with respect to both extradition requests.

“He failed to declare his overseas income and assets…He benefited from the income and assets that had not been declared. A reasonable jury can properly infer benefit from his undeclared income and purchase of substantial assets overseas,” the court said in its order.

Bhandari has been on bail on security provided to the London court as he contested the extradition cases lodged against him by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate. As per court documents quoted by PTI, Bhandari is wanted in India for offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002, the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Asset), Imposition of Tax Act 2015 and Income Tax Act 1961.

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Bhandari, an Indian resident in 2015, is accused of concealing overseas assets, using backdated documents, benefiting from the assets not declared to the Indian tax authorities and then falsely informing the authorities that he did not possess any overseas assets.

(With PTI inputs)