India's Extradition Efforts: Successes and the Challenge of Economic Offenders
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: International Relations (Bilateral treaties - Extradition); Indian Polity (Key Agencies - CBI, ED); Economy (Fugitive Economic Offenders, PNB Scam); Internal Security (Terrorism, Organized Crime).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 2 (Polity, Governance & IR): "Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States"; "Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability"; "Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests."
General Studies Paper 3 (Internal Security & Economy): "Money-laundering and its prevention"; "Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security"; "Linkages of organized crime with terrorism."
Key Highlights from the News
Significant progress in India's efforts to extradite Mehul Choksi, the main accused in the Punjab National Bank fraud case.
A Belgian court dismissed Choksi's argument that he would not receive justice due to poor conditions in Indian jails. The court accepted India's assurances.
This incident indicates that India has intensified its efforts to bring back economic offenders such as Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi.
Over one-third (35%) of those extradited to India in the last two decades were involved in economic crimes.
India has signed extradition treaties with 48 countries and extradition arrangements with 12 countries.
The countries that have extradited the highest number of criminals to India are the UAE and the U.S. (46% of total extraditions).
Criminals linked to terrorist activities account for 27.5% of those extradited.
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