Crime
India govt’s extradition efforts yield limited results in 2021
As 2021 draws to a close, the Narendra Modi governments efforts to extradite Indian businessmen from Britain for alleged fraud against Indian banks are yet to materialise.
The failed deportation of Lieutenant (Retd) Ravi Shankaran, who was accused of stealing and selling classified information from the Indian Navy’s war room, was not appealed against.
Vijay Mallya, chairman of the now closed Kingfisher Airlines, who was ordered to be extradited by the British judiciary in 2019, is yet to be sent to India. Similarly, diamantaire Nirav Modi continues to fight a legal battle to avoid deportation. Unlike Mallya, though, he has been held in custody at south London’s Wandworth prison since his arrest in 2019.
India and the UK had signed an extradition treaty in 1992. This was ratified the following year and has been in force since. Yet, only two individuals – one of them voluntarily – have been returned to India.
British solicitors Gherson’s comment is: “Chief among these bars to extradition has been the (UK) Court’s obligation to ensure that extradition would be incompatible with the rights of an individual under the European Convention on Human Rights, codified in English law with the passing of the Human Rights Act, 1998.”
London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court had ordered Mallya’s extradition and this was upheld by the High Court of England. Gherson observes: “It has been widely reported that Mallya has, however, lodged an asylum claim, which has resulted in the extradition request being put on hold for the time being.”
The High Court of England, which earlier this year declared Mallya bankrupt at the instance of creditor Indian banks, will hear an appeal from him on the matter in the New Year.
Legal circles in the British capital believe he is bound to bring to the notice of the court that assets seized from him by Indian investigators have been sold and money owed to the banks have been received by them.
On July 26 last, Mallya had tweeted: “ED attached my assets worth (Rs) 14K crore at behest of Govt Banks against debt of (Rs) 6.2K crore. They restore assets to Banks who recover (Rs) 9K crore in cash and retain security over (Rs) 5K crore more. Banks ask Court to make me Bankrupt as they may have to return money to the ED. Incredible.”
Three days later, he posted on Twitter an Indian newspaper clipping which reported: “IDBI Bank said that it has recovered the entire dues pertaining to Kingfisher Airlines, which helped the lender report a 318 per cent jump in net profit for the quarter ended June 2021.”
In effect, the same court, which in a ruling prior to the bankruptcy order had expressed confidence that Mallya would be able to settle his debt, may now need to take into account the fact that the banks have actually recovered their lending. In other words, if it reverses its judgement, this could potentially have an impact on the extradition verdict as well.
Gherson points out the conclusion of the judge at the Westminster Court was based on the Indian government contending that loans from Indian banks “were premised on a conspiracy to commit fraud by way of fraudulent misrepresentation”.
The fact is, Indian investigators have failed to establish a case in this respect against the then chairman and senior executives of IDBI Bank, who were named as being co-conspirators with Mallya.
Nirav Modi, who too was ordered to be extradited, appealed against this on the grounds that his mental health is such that he is a suicide risk. This was heard on December 14 last. “He is at high risk of suicide already and his condition is likely to deteriorate further in Mumbai,” Modi’s barrister Edward Fitzgerald argued.
If Nirav Modi loses his appeal, he could still seek reviews at either the UK’s Supreme Court, or the European Court of Human Rights. Mallya did not exercise these options.
Significantly, the cases against them were registered when Britain was still a member state of the European Union (EU) and came under EU laws.
In chasing high-profile, headline-making alleged fugitives for justice, the Government of India may have neglected the serious issue of pilferage of sensitive documents from the Indian Navy’s war room by Shankaran.
The extradition request in this connection was rejected by the High Court of England in 2014. If there was no scope of an appeal, this does not appear to have been adequately explained. One newspaper claimed Shankaran earned a whopping sum from selling the stolen papers to armaments firms and dealers. The accused, said to be residing in London, could not be reached for a comment.
Crime
Mumbai Police Busts Fake Apple Accessories Racket In Ghatkopar, ₹16.33 Lakh Goods Seized; Six Booked

Mumbai: In a major crackdown on the sale of counterfeit branded goods, Mumbai Police have dismantled an organised racket dealing in fake Apple accessories in Ghatkopar East, seizing products worth Rs. 16.33 lakh and booking six shopkeepers in the case.
The action was carried out by a team from Pant Nagar police station following a specific tip-off about the sale of duplicate mobile accessories in the Patel Chowk and Nilyog Mall areas. Acting swiftly, police officials devised a coordinated plan and split into six teams to conduct simultaneous raids at multiple locations.
During the operation, authorities raided six shops where a large quantity of counterfeit products was recovered. The seized items included mobile chargers, adapters, USB cables, phone covers, back panels, earphones, AirPods and batteries, all falsely branded as products of Apple Inc. Officials said the items were near-identical replicas designed to mislead customers into believing they were purchasing genuine goods.
To verify the authenticity of the products, representatives from Apple Inc. were present during the raids. Using technical expertise and specialised identification techniques, they confirmed on the spot that all the seized items were counterfeit.
The report also said that the accused had been sourcing these fake products at significantly lower prices and selling them at inflated rates under the Apple brand name. Police said the shopkeepers were illegally using Apple’s logo and product designs without authorisation, thereby deceiving customers and violating intellectual property rights.
Based on the findings, cases have been registered against all six accused under Sections 51 and 63 of the Copyright Act, The seized goods have been confiscated and sent for further forensic examination as part of the ongoing probe.
Police officials stated that this operation is part of a broader drive to curb the circulation of counterfeit branded goods in Mumbai. They added that further investigations are underway to trace the supply chain and identify other individuals linked to the racket.
Authorities have reiterated their commitment to taking strict action against such illegal activities and warned traders against dealing in counterfeit products.
Crime
Mumbai: St Xavier’s College Receives Bomb Threat; No Explosives Found

Mumbai: St Xavier’s College in Mahim, Mumbai, received a bomb threat on Tuesday, said the official.
According to the Mumbai police, St Xavier’s College in Mahim, Mumbai, received a bomb threat. Nothing suspicious was found by the police, and they believe this is primarily a hoax threat.
The police are taking appropriate action and investigating.
More details awaited.
This comes after a series of bomb threats earlier this week caused panic across the city.
On Wednesday, threat emails were received at multiple locations, including the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Vidhan Bhawan, and the High Court.
Police, including the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) team, are present on the scene, officials said on Wednesday.
According to the Mumbai police, threat mail has been received at BSE, Vidhan Bhawan and the High Court this morning.
“Adequate security measures have been taken and are in place. Necessary legal action is being taken at the respective police stations,” Mumbai Police said.
On March 8, a hospital in Mumbai received a bomb threat via email, claiming that an “LED blast” would be carried out on the premises.
The email sparked significant panic among patients and staff.
In response, the Mumbai Police’s Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) conducted a thorough inspection of the hospital.
Crime
Mumbai Shocker: Husband Pushes Wife To Death In Front Of Running Local Train At Mulund Station; Arrested

Mumbai: A 42-year-old man, who was captured on CCTV, while pushing his wife before a running local train owing to marital discord, has been arrested in Surat. The accused, Rajukumar Gupta, an electrician, went absconding with his younger son after pushing Pushpa, 36, to her death on the morning of March 14. Hours before the incident, the victim had even lodged a police complaint.
According to victim’s brother Kamlesh Kumar Gupta, 30, who is a soldier, the couple had frequent quarrels and hence he had come to take his sister and his elder nephew, 15, back to their UP native. In his complaint to the Kurla GRP, Kamlesh, who lives in UP, said that on March 14, when they were set to go to UP, Rajukumar and Pushpa again had an argument, prompting the latter to approach the police. Kamlesh said that subsequently, he, Pushpa and her 15-year-old son reached the Mulund station.
However, he realised that he had forgotten his Army ID card at Rajukumar’s house. Hence, he along with his nephew went back, however, an enraged Rajukumar locked the duo inside the house. The accused then arrived at the Mulund station, where he saw his wife standing on platform 1. He pushed her in front of a running local train and fled, said the FIR.
Commuters alerted the station master, following which the railway authorities rushed Pushpa to a government hospital, where she was declared dead. Kamlesh said that he somehow managed to alert neighbours, who helped open the door.
Police said the CCTV footage from the station has captured the incident. Based on the complaint, the Kurla GRP has registered an FIR against Rajukumar under section 103 (punishment for murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
-
Crime4 years agoClass 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra1 year agoMumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Maharashtra1 year agoMumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Maharashtra1 year agoFalse photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News1 year agoMinistry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Maharashtra1 year agoMaharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News1 year agoJ&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface
-
Crime1 year agoBaba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report
