Despite Nirav Modi win, how India stands in catching economic offenders

Even as the government is moving closer to seek custody of fugitive offender Nirav Modi from the UK, its success rate in extraditing fugitives has been low due to the complex diplomatic process. 

In the last five years, India managed to bring only about 20 fugitive offenders including AgustaWestland deal middleman Christian Michel James, and is strongly pursuing extradition cases of liquor baron Vijay Mallya and jeweller Mehul Choksi.

Mehul Choksi

Wanted in connection with India’s biggest banking fraud of $1.8 billion at Punjab National Bank (along with Nirav Modi). India is trying to bring him back from Antigua

Vijay Mallya

Fled country in March 2016 after loan default of around Rs 9,000 crore. He remains on bail owing to a separate secret legal process in the UK

Sanjay Bhandari 

The extradition case of the arms dealer, accused of possessing undisclosed properties in foreign countries, is scheduled for hearing in April

At least 65 more fugitives are on the extradition list including  Sunny Kalra, Sanjay Kalra, Jatin Mehta, Umesh Parekh,  Neeshal Modi, Sabya Seth, Rajiv Goyal, Alka Goyal, Lalit Modi and Sandesara brothers among others 

Sanjeev Chawla: One of the prime accused in the Hansie-gate scandal extradited to India from the UK 20 years after the scandal rocked the cricket universe

Rajeev Saxena: AgustaWestland chopper deal co-accused extradited from UAE end of January along with corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar

Christian Michel James: A British national, he was extradited from UAE in December 2018 in a case of cheating and criminal conspiracy for his role as middleman in AgustraWestland case

Mohammed Yahya and Vinay Mittal: Involved in cases of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy, he was extradited from Indonesia in 2018

Mansoor/Farooq Takla: Extradited from UAE in March 2018 over terrorism charges

Abubakr Kadir Lonut Alexandru: Extradited from Singapore in September 2017 in job scam racket case

Legal options before Nirav: UK magistrates’ court ruling in Nirav Modi’s matter is not a final verdict on extradition. Both Nirav Modi and the prosecution will have the option of challenging the ruling in a UK High Court. He was arrested on an extradition warrant on March 19, 2019.