Amarendra Nath Ghosh, who swallowed a knife to prevent his extradition to India from Germany in a bank fraud case, was brought back on Monday.
NEW DELHI: Amarendra Nath Ghosh, who swallowed a knife to prevent his extradition to India from Germany in a bank fraud case, was brought back on Monday to the country by a CBI team to face legal proceedings.
The 46-year-old Ghosh, whose extradition was ordered in 2003, was brought in a special Indian Air Force plane from Munich after the German authorities cleared the formalities to take him to India after five years of legal battle, CBI officials said.
German authorities had earlier prevented CBI from taking Ghosh on the ground that an eight-centimetre knife lodged in his stomach could prove dangerous.
He had not given his consent for a surgery and as per the German laws, no patient can be operated upon without his or her approval.
After assurances from New Delhi that the accused would be taken in a special plane under the strict observation of the doctors, the German authorities agreed to send him.
The CBI had charge-sheeted Ghosh, in 2001, for entering into a criminal conspiracy with senior manager of Allahabad Bank's Kolkata branch S R Ramanani and getting high valued banker's cheques issued in the name of fictitious persons. He allegedly defrauded Rs 35 crore approx from various nationalised banks during 1992-1996.
He would be now be produced in a court for a transit remand before being taken to Kolkata where he would be facing trial in connection with various bank fraud cases.
In an alleged conspiracy with Branch Manager of Punjab National Bank's Kolkata branch Nilopam Das, the accused opened four bank accounts and credited the cheques to the tune of Rs 10.84 crore.
Ghosh was also facing an inquiry in three other cases where money to the tune of Rs 16 crore had been allegedly swindled. He was declared a proclaimed offender in April, 2002 and Interpol arrested him in Munich (Germany).
Terming his extradition an excellent example of bilateral cooperation in criminal matters, CBI Director Vijay Shanker said "German authorities were committed for his extradition despite serious issues like him swallowing the knife."
Shanker, who had been pursuing the case during his tenure as Additional Director and had nearly succeeded in getting him extradited in 2003 but for the knife issue, said "such cooperation should be a lesson to law offenders that the globe was shrinking by the day for criminals particularly economic offenders and terrorists."
Ghosh is also wanted by the United Arab Emirates for the financial frauds committed by him there.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}