Sovereign assurance given in UK extradition case

Two months after a UK trial court refused to extradite two fugitives - Virkaran Awasty and his wife Ritika Awasty -- citing the Sanjay Bhandari case and stating that they could be at risk of torture by investigators, India gave a sovereign guarantee that if extradited, Awastys "won't be interrogated", officials familiar with the development said.

- Neeraj Chauhan

NEW DELHI: Two months after a UK trial court refused to extradite two fugitives - Virkaran Awasty and his wife Ritika Awasty -- citing the Sanjay Bhandari case and stating that they could be at risk of torture by investigators, India gave a sovereign guarantee that if extradited, Awastys "won't be interrogated," officials familiar with the development said.

The assurance might give some relief to the prosecutors in London in India's appeal in the UK high court against the Awastys' discharge, the second such jolt faced by Indian investigators this year (first being Sanjay Bhandari case in February).

The Awastys and their firm Bush Foods are accused of committing a ₹750 crore fraud. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a charge sheet against them in November 2020. The economic offences wings of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh police are also investigating them. They were arrested in London in October 2019 after which extradition proceedings were initiated.