London: Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla held talks with British Home Secretary Priti Patel in London during which he strongly underlined India's interest in the expeditious extradition of former Kingfisher Airlines chief Vijay Mallya, who has completed all the legal processes related to extradition from the UK, and fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi.
On the last leg of his three-nation Europe tour, Shringla visited London where he held discussions with several UK ministers and officials and during his interactions with Patel and UK Foreign Office Minister for South Asia, Lord Tariq Ahmad, on Tuesday, the issue of economic offenders being extradited to face the Indian judicial system was among the issues raised.
“We strongly underlined our interest in seeing the early, expeditious extradition of Vijay Mallya, who is an economic offender. We would like him to return to India as soon as possible," said Shringla.
"Also, Nirav Modi. I raised this with both Lord Ahmad and the Home Secretary, and both took very careful note of our priority and sentiments in that regard," he said.
Mallya, wanted in India over fraud and money laundering charges in relation to loans taken out by his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines from state-owned Indian banks, has been found to have a case to answer in India by the UK courts. He is currently on bail, undergoing a "confidential" legal issue before Patel can consider signing off on his extradition order.
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