‘We want them to be taken back to India’, says UK PM Boris Johnson on Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi extradition

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday said that his government has ordered the extradition of economic fugitives wanted by India but there are legal technicalities that made the task "very difficult".

Answering a query related to the extradition of Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya at a press conference here, Johnson said the UK government wants them to be taken back to India for trial and it does not welcome people who want to use the British legal system to evade the law here in India.

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"On the two individuals that you mentioned, the extradition case, there are legal technicalities that made it very difficult. But what I can tell you is that the UK government has ordered their extradition," Boris Johnson said.

"We have said from our point of view we want them to be taken back to India for trial, perhaps I should just say, we welcome people, who have talent and brilliance coming from India coming to the UK, we don`t welcome people who want to use our legal system to evade the law here in India," he added.

Earlier in the day, addressing a special press briefing on UK PM visit, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla said the issue of economic fugitives figured in talks with the British Prime Minister and the government conveyed that the extradition of these offenders is a high priority as they need to be back to face India`s justice system.

"Our objective is to bring those economic fugitives who are wanted in India to face justice in the country, and the matter did come up in today`s talks," Shringla emphasized.

He also said Prime Minister Johnson took note of the point raised and indicated that he was very sensitive to Indian concerns in this regard and would see what he could do. "Prime Minister Johnson said that it was important for him as well and he will surely review it. Prime Minister Johnson took note of the point raised by us and he indicated that he was very sensitive to Indian concerns in this regard and that he would see what he could do," Shringla said.

Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Mehul Choksi defrauded public sector banks by siphoning off the funds through their companies which resulted in a total loss of Rs 22,585.83 crore to the public sector banks, as of March 15, 2022, the government had informed the parliament last month.