CBI-ED-NIA team to make a UK trip in bid to expedite Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi's extradition
CBI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to the United Kingdom, in a bid to speed up the extradition of Indian fugitives, including the likes of diamond trader Nirav Modi and Kingfisher's Vijay Mallya.
According to a Times of India report, sources told the publication that a senior officer from the foreign ministry is heading the team, which is set to meet with UK authorities via the Indian High Commission in London.
The ED-CBI-NIA team is making an effort to identify fugitives' properties in the UK and other countries to take possession of the 'proceeds of crime'.
The three-agency team is looking to bring in arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, who fled the country in 2016, right after the income tax department and the ED initiated an investigation into multiple defence deals negotiated during the UPA regime. Bhandari is reportedly close to Robert Vadra, husband of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra.
The arms dealer reportedly acquired properties in London and Dubai and transferred them to shell companies controlled by an alleged aide of Vadra.
Bhandari is one of three bigwigs expected to be extradited to India, alongside Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya. All three have appeals pending in higher courts against their deportation to India.
Their properties in India have already been attached by government agencies, with some assets sold to return some money to banks against their outstanding dues.
Under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), both India and the UK are legally bound to share information on criminal investigations related to economic offenders. The team en route to London has been scheduled to hold a bilateral discussion on the exchange of information with
