India seeks expeditious extradition of Mallya, Nirav Modi from UK

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla held talks with British Home Secretary Priti Patel in London during which he strongly underlined India's interest in expeditious extrition of former Kingfisher Airlines chief Vijay Mallya, who has completed all legal processes related to extrition from UK, and fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi.

On last leg of his three-nation Europe tour, Shringla visited London where he held discussions with several UK ministers and officials and during his interactions with Patel and UK Foreign Office Minister for South Asia, Lord Tariq Ahm, on Tuesday, issue of ecomic offenders being extrited to face Indian judicial system was among issues raised.

"We strongly underlined our interest in seeing early, expeditious extrition of Vijay Mallya, who is an ecomic offender who has completed all extrition procedures in UK. We would like him to return to India as soon as possible," said Shringla.

"Also, Nirav Modi. I raised this with both Lord Ahm and Home Secretary, and both took very careful te of our priority and sentiments in that regard," he said.

Mallya wanted in India over fraud and money laundering charges in relation to loans taken out by his w-defunct Kingfisher Airlines from state-owned Indian banks, has been found to have a case to answer in India by UK courts. He is currently on bail, undergoing a "confidential" legal issue before Patel can consider signing off on his extrition order.

On or hand, Modi, fugitive diamond merchant accused of fraud and money laundering in relation to state-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB), is currently lodged in Wandsworth Prison in London as he fights his extrition to India at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

Shringla arrived in London following visits to Paris and Berlin on Tuesday and has held a series of meetings to cover a wide range of issues, including India-UK vaccine partnership in a post-coronavirus world and climate change as well as highlighting India's outlook on growing importance of Indo-Pacific region.

On India-UK bilateral ties, Foreign Secretary ted backdrop of Britain's exit from European Union (EU) paving way for a reset in relationship – both with UK and EU.

"We are looking at early harvest deals, which would bring benefits to both our countries, followed by a more detailed, eir preferential tre agreement or a free tre agreement," said Shringla.

"Obviously, a limited deal means we work on those areas on which both sides can immediately agree to. We need more time to conclude a more comprehensive tre agreement but our ministers are in touch and will work on trying to close such a deal,” he said.

"We are also looking at a similar deal at EU level, but bilateral agreement is always different from an agreement with a group,” he ded.

Indian High Commissioner to UK, Gaitri Issar Kumar, highlighted five priority areas of food and drink, life sciences, information and communications techlogy (ICT), chemicals and services that have been narrowed down by both sides, with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and UK International Tre Secretary Liz Truss set to take stock of level of movement in se areas during talks scheduled for vember 9.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Prime Minister Boris Johnson are among high-level visits from UK to India scheduled for 2021, depending on COVID-19 pandemic lockdown situation.

Foreign Secretary Shringla ted that with UK currently undertaking an Integrated Review of its policy framework, Indo-Pacific region is expected to play a key part in “transformational relationship” that Raab has previously me reference to vis-à-vis India.

"We believe in vision of free, open, transparent and inclusive Indo-Pacific stakeholders; we believe in multi-polarity. framework is re in France and Germany and we see it in UK also, though it is yet to be articulated in policy framework. It ( Indo-Pacific) has become more significant, relevant and topical," said Shringla.

Besides his ministerial-level and official talks, foreign secretary also conducted a host of discussions with leing business chiefs and CEOs.