UK has no intention of becoming a place where those seeking to evade justice can hide, says British Security Minister
Tom Tugendhat said, amid India's continuing push for extradition of billionaire fugitives Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi. Tugendhat, without citing specific cases, said legal processes must be adhered to in matters relating to extradition. «We both (the UK and India) have legal processes that must be gone through.
But the UK government is absolutely clear, we have no intention of becoming a place where those who are seeking to evade justice can hide,» he told PTI in an interview. Tugendhat was in India on a three-day visit from August 10-12 primarily to attend the G20 anti-corruption ministerial meeting in Kolkata. In Delhi, he held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
The British Security Minister was replying to a question on India's persistent demand for extradition of a number of economic offenders including Mallya and Nirav Modi who are living in the UK. Nirav Modi, the fugitive diamond merchant, is wanted in India to stand trial on fraud and money laundering charges. The 52-year-old businessman last year lost his legal battle in the highest UK court against being extradited to India in the estimated USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank loan scam case.
But his case is now said to be «statute barred», indicating further pending litigation. Mallya, who fled to the UK in March 2016, is wanted in India over a default of Rs 9,000 crore that was loaned to Kingfisher Airlines by several banks. Asked about his talks with NSA Doval, the British Security Minister declined to share the details but noted that the broad bilateral cooperation is focused on security of the two nations and the prosperity of the citizens.
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