Delhi Court recommends extradition of Bangladeshi national to UK

A Delhi court has recommended to the Centre the extradition of a Bangladeshi national, accused of murdering his wife and two daughters in the UK in 2007, to London to stand trial in the case.

The court recommended extradition of accused Mohammad Abdul Shakur after he voluntarily consented to surrender to face trial in the case. "I hereby recommend to Union of India to extradite the fugitive criminal Mohammad Abdul Shakur to the requesting state i.e. United Kingdom of Great Britain," Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Sudesh Kumar said.

The ACMM also referred to the extradition treaty between India and the UK and said the offences alleged against Shakur were "extraditable". The order came after the Centre, through advocate Naveen Kumar Matta, forwarded the request received from UK seeking extradition of Shakur.

Matta told the court that Shakur was wanted in the UK to stand trial on the allegation that he had fled from London after murdering his wife Juli Begum and two daughters at their house in January 2007. The court, in its order, referred to the statement given by UK's Metropolitan police detective sergeant John Simm before the district judge in Westminster in which he had related the entire sequence of event which allegedly led to death of the woman and her two daughters.

Simm stated that Shakur had married Begum in Bangladesh after which his wife had returned to the UK and few months later, the fugitive criminal also followed her and she sponsored his entry in that country. The police official said there were strains in their married life and in 2002, Begum called police because of Shakur's behaviour. Simm had said Shakur wanted Begum to help him in becoming a permanent resident of the UK and even his family members had threatened that Shakur would harm her if she does not help him. He had also stated that Begum's sister came to see her on January 9, 2007 but found the house locked. The next day, she called police which entered into the house and found the bodies of Begum and her two daughters. 

Shakur, who was later on arrested in Assam, was produced before ACMM Kumar on August 29 this year in pursuance to a production warrant issued against him during the inquiry proceedings. Shakur told the court that he should be extradited to the UK to stand trial in the case. "I am satisfied that the fugitive criminal made the above statement voluntarily without any force or pressure after understanding all the consequences," the court said. "The information and material furnished by requesting state (UK) along with request for extradition prima facie shows commission of offences i.e three counts of murder contrary to common law which are analogous to provisions of section 302 of Indian Penal Code respectively and makes out the case for extradition of fugitive criminal and in support of requisition of the requesting state (UK)," the court said.