14 centrespread centrespread 15 DECEMBER 16-22, 2018 DECEMBER 16-22, 2018 Bringing Back the Runaways As India receives a positive verdict on the extradition of Christian Michel and Vijay Mallya from the UAE and the UK, Extradition (n): the surrender by one respectively, a look at the history of extradition of fugitives to and from India along with some high-profile cases state to another of a :: Shephali Bhatt person desired to be dealt with for crimes for which he has been In the Past Unresolved accused or convicted The Latest and which are D-Company Julian Assange Edward Snowden Roman Polanski justifiable in the courts Abu Salem, an erstwhile member of Mumbai’s organised crime Christian Michel Vijay Mallya The Australian programmer and The American computer whizz The French-Polish film director of The of the other states syndicate D-Company (run by Dawood Ibrahim), was convicted in The alleged middleman in the VVIP The “King of Good Times” has been internet activist published secret formerly employed with the CIA Pianist fame pleaded guilty of unlawful over 50 heinous crimes, including involvement in the 1993 Mumbai chopper deal, Michel was accused of ordered to be extradited to India US documents through his site turned into a whistleblower in sexual intercourse with a minor girl bomb blasts and the murder of T-Series founder Gulshan Kumar. receiving kickbacks worth €30 million by the UK government. He has WikiLeaks in 2010 and has been 2013. He leaked classified in the US in 1978. However, he In November 2005, he was extradited by Portugal to India, along from AgustaWestland, which allegedly been accused of money laundering on US federal government’s most information about global fled to France before he could with his then partner and former actress Monica Bedi, on account won a contract to sell 12 luxury and several economic offences, wanted list ever since. In December surveillance programmes US be sentenced; the French law of criminal charges. Currently serving a 25-year sentence in Navi helicopters to the UPA government in including not paying banks debt of 2010, he surrendered to UK police National Security Agency prohibits extradition of its Mumbai’s Taloja jail, he has appealed to Lisbon to be 2007 on the back of kickbacks given to Rs 9,000 crore. On December 10, and was released on bail 10 days was running in alliance citizens. In the past, Polanski 43 taken back as the Indian government has defied middlemen like him. He was extradited a court in London ordered for his later. Assange has taken asylum in with private companies has been arrested in Switzerland countries have extradition terms. Indian authorities have from UAE to India on December 2018. extradition to India. He can appeal. the embassy of Ecuador in London and European government following an extradition request extradition treaties refused to send him back till he finishes the Michel has denied the accusation since then. His fate bodies. He’s currently living from the US authorities but with India remaining nine years of his sentence. hangs in the balance in Russia on a temporary was released after nine as talks of asylum grant that’s set to months. In 2015, the US Chhota Rajan aka Rajendra Sadashiv withdrawing expire by 2020. government filed an 10 Nikalje, another member of D-Company, his asylum extradition request countries have was extradited from Indonesia in 2015. He gain strength with the Polish extradition was on the run for between the authorities as the arrangements three decades. Ecuadorian Oscar-winning with India president and filmmaker was in the British the country for government. work. In 2016, the Over 100 Polish Supreme requests made by Court denied India to foreign the extradition governments request calling are pending it “groundless”. He remains a US fugitive to date. An extradition arrangement, unlike a treaty, doesn't bind the other country to arrest, detain and extradite an Indian fugitive, but only assist in legal procedure as per their regulations Source: News reports Top Extraditing Nations Top Extraditees Major countries that have extradited fugitives to India Major countries India has extradited fugitives to Canada Germany South UAE Thailand USA Canada UK Australia 67 4 3 Africa 19 4 27 6 3 4 fugitives 3 Major Offences 51 Major Offences extradited Extradited fugitives to India accused of fugitives Fugitives extradited from India accused of by foreign Murder 19 extradited by Murder 16 governments Criminal conspiracy 12 India to foreign Fraud 11 to India Terrorism 7 governments Drug offences 10 Mumbai bomb blast 3 (Between 2002 and Oct 2018, excluding Rape (Between 2002 and Mar 2018) Christian Michel extradited from the UAE 4 Sex abuse 3 and Vijay Mallya from the UK) Source: Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.