NEW DELHI: As the date for hearing on Vijay Mallya's extra-CBI is confident about the case it has against the fugitive liquor baron despite the refusal of Westminster court last month to extradite bookie Sanjeev Chawla, wanted in connection with the 2000 cricket matchfixing case that also involved late South African captain Hansie Cronje.
The UK court had refused extradition of Chawla after he pleaded that conditions in the capital's Tihar Jail were such that lodging him there would amount to violation of human rights. Asserting that Mallya's extradition case is different from that of Chawla, officials said the Indian government has given a "sovereign assurance" to the UK authorities that the former liquor baron, who fled India after failing to repay loans of Rs 9000 crore to Indian banks, will be kept inside the Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai.
"Former Union home secretary told the UK government in July that jails in India are on a par with European jails, including medical facilities with a proper hospital," said a government official. A proper inspection of Arthur Jail was done and photos of the barrack in which Mallya would be lodged after extradition were sent to the UK authorities.
"The UK has been informed that extradited fugitives are usually lodged in Arthur Road Jail only, which has all the facilities... So, Mallya's objection to extradition on the ground of poor jail conditions will not stand. Subsequently, it will be argued that Mallya has committed a serious crime by usurping public money," said the official.
The UK court had refused extradition of Chawla after he pleaded that conditions in the capital's Tihar Jail were such that lodging him there would amount to violation of human rights. Asserting that Mallya's extradition case is different from that of Chawla, officials said the Indian government has given a "sovereign assurance" to the UK authorities that the former liquor baron, who fled India after failing to repay loans of Rs 9000 crore to Indian banks, will be kept inside the Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai.
"Former Union home secretary told the UK government in July that jails in India are on a par with European jails, including medical facilities with a proper hospital," said a government official. A proper inspection of Arthur Jail was done and photos of the barrack in which Mallya would be lodged after extradition were sent to the UK authorities.
"The UK has been informed that extradited fugitives are usually lodged in Arthur Road Jail only, which has all the facilities... So, Mallya's objection to extradition on the ground of poor jail conditions will not stand. Subsequently, it will be argued that Mallya has committed a serious crime by usurping public money," said the official.
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