Following Government of India’s request for extradition, Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel, an Indian national, was extradited on Tuesday (18 October 2016) to face trial in India.
Patel is facing trial in connection with post-Godhra riots in India in 2002. He is charged with the offence under Section 302 of IPC, along with 43 other accused. The offences include murder, rioting and being member of an unlawful assembly. The accused was arrested in India and was on bail and after jumping bail had escaped to UK.
This is the first extradition from UK since the signing of the Extradition Treaty in 1992.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), one of the key departments in the British government dealing with extradition requests, reportedly said that Patel had consented to his extradition to India.
A team from Gujarat Police was expected to have arrived in London to take Patel to India.
The riot, in which 23 people were killed, was reportedly one of nine cases probed by a special investigation team appointed by the Supreme Court. A special court had convicted 23 people for the riot on April 9, 2012.
Patel’s trial in the special court could not be completed when he absconded. It is expected to be resumed after he is taken to India.
