India is all set to deploy the team of high-level officials from CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) 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 reports from TOI, a high-ranking officer from the foreign ministry is leading the delegation, scheduled to engage with UK authorities through the Indian High Commission in London. The collaborative effort among the ED, CBI, and NIA seeks to pinpoint properties belonging to the fugitives in the UK and other nations to seize the "proceeds of crime."
The tri-agency team is specifically targeting the extradition of arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, who fled the country in 2016 following investigations initiated by the income tax department and the ED into multiple defense deals negotiated during the UPA regime. Bhandari allegedly maintains close ties with Robert Vadra, the husband of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra. It is reported that the arms dealer acquired properties in London and Dubai, transferring them to shell companies controlled by an alleged Vadra aide.
Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya, and Sanjay Bhandari are the key figures sought for repatriation to India, each having appeals pending in higher courts against their deportation. The Indian government has already confiscated their assets, selling off some to repay debts owed to banks. Under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), India and the UK are obligated to exchange information on criminal investigations involving economic offenders. The team heading to London aims to discuss this information-sharing with UK authorities. Despite the Home Ministry typically handling MLAT matters, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is leading this case due to diplomatic protocols.
Nirav Modi faces allegations of a fraud involving PNB funds exceeding Rs 6,500 crore, while assets worth over Rs 5,000 crore belonging to Vijay Mallya were seized for bank fraud. ED is investigating Bhandari, Thampi, and Vadra for alleged payoffs in multiple defense deals, having already seized Bhandari's properties worth over Rs 26 crore in India. A special court has declared him a fugitive economic offender, akin to Mallya and Modi.