Senior officials of the Indian investigation agencies, including NIA, ED and CBI, are planning to leave to the United Kingdom to expedite extradition of India’s most wanted fugitives, including defence dealer Sanjay Bhandari, diamond trader Nirav Modi and Kingfisher Airlines promoter Vijay Mallya.
The investigation team will conduct bilateral discussions regarding the longstanding exchange of information pending with the UK authorities under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), reported ANI.
Since both India and UK are signatories to MLAT, they are obligated to legally share information on criminal investigations involving economic offenders and others.
Though it is the Union Home Ministry which handles MLAT affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is actively engaged in diplomatic interactions with the UK. All requests are channeled through MEA for foreign countries and a senior MEA official will also be present during the meeting with the UK authorities.
The meeting would be arranged in sessions in close supervision of the Indian High Commission in London.
The team is also expected to leave this month. Besides expediting the process of extradition of the fugitives, the team is learnt to seek outstanding informations about assets obtained by them in London, including specifics about their banking transactions, the ANI report added. Efforts are also being taken to identify the properties of the individuals in the UK and other countries with the aim of seizing the ‘proceeds of crime.’
Sanjay Bhandari is said to have close links with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi's husband Robert Vadra. Recently, the ED had filed a supplementary prosecution complaint (chargesheet) against him in connection with a money laundering case.
While Nirav Modi faces allegations in a fraud case related to Punjab National Bank funds exceeding Rs 6,500 crore, Mallya who owes 17 Indian banks an estimated Rs 900 crore, is accused of fraud and money laundering.