Edward Grange comments on Indian extradition requests in India Today

Months after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) started off the extradition process for the fugitive liquor tycoon, Vijay Mallya was formally arrested by the Scotland Yard in London on 18 April. But it all began in India on 31 January 2017, with the issue of an arrest warrant in a Rs 900 crore IDBI Bank loan default case.

The CBI and Enforcement Directorate officials feel Mallya’s extradition could turn out to be a less tortuous process than expected, despite the fact that he will have three layers of the court to appeal to. Their optimism is grounded on two reasons. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) wants Mallya back in India to face trial without delay. The PMO has offered its unstinted support, playing a key role in kicking off the extradition process and has not been averse to mounting diplomatic pressure on the UK government to speed up the trial.

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“The CBI will have to satisfy the court that there is prima facie a case against Mallya based on admissible evidence,” says Edward Grange, partner in UK law firm Corker Binning.

“This is where India has struggled in the past in its extradition requests. They have not been an active participant, and when called upon to answer the court’s questions, have been slow (if at all) in responding,” Grange says.

Read the full article in India Today here.