India is preparing to dispatch a delegation of senior officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to the United Kingdom.
The objective is to expedite the extradition process for Indian fugitives, including notable figures such as diamond trader Nirav Modi and Kingfisher's Vijay Mallya. As per sources, a high-ranking official from the foreign ministry is leading the team, scheduled to engage with UK authorities through the Indian High Commission in London.
The joint team comprising the ED, CBI, and NIA is actively working to identify properties of fugitives in the UK and other nations to seize the 'proceeds of crime.' Among the individuals targeted is arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, who fled the country in 2016 amid investigations by the income tax department and ED into defense deals during the UPA regime.
Bhandari, said to have close ties with Robert Vadra, husband of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra, reportedly acquired properties in London and Dubai, transferring them to shell companies allegedly controlled by an associate of Vadra.
Under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), India and the UK are obligated to share information on criminal investigations concerning economic offenders. The team en route to London has long been slated for a bilateral discussion with UK authorities on the exchange of information.