India plans treaty with Oman, Azerbaijan on criminal matters

"India plans to sign Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) in criminal matters with Israel, Oman, Azerbaijan and Nepal," the Ministry of Home Affairs said in reply to an RTI query.

The MLAT facilitates mutual assistance in prevention, investigation and prosecution of crime, service of summons and other judicial documents, execution of warrants and other judicial commissions and tracing, restraint, forfeiture and confiscation of proceeds and instruments of crimes.

At present, India has the treaty in criminal matters with 32 countries including Iran, Kuwait, Mauritius, Switzerland, Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam and Kazakhstan.

Besides, there is a mutual legal assistance treaty with Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Egypt, France, Mongolia, Myanmar, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America and Uzbekistan.

"MLAT in criminal matters has also been signed by India with Kyrgyz Republic, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia. However, the treaties with the aforesaid countries would enter into force only after the process of exchange of instruments of ratification or issue of ratification notification of the treaty is completed by these countries," the reply added.