UK team inspects Tihar Jail conditions as India seeks extradition of fugitives

In a key step towards the extradition of fugitives like Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi, a team from Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the country's primary body for prosecuting criminal cases, visited New Delhi's Tihar Jail to inspect the facilities, official sources said.

This visit, which took place in July, was a direct response to concerns raised by British courts about the conditions in Indian prisons.

The five-member team, including representatives from the British High Commission, toured the high-security facility and engaged in direct conversations with inmates to gather a first-hand understanding of the environment.

The core objective of the visit was to provide concrete assurance to British courts that any individual extradited to India would be housed in a secure, humane, and appropriate environment at Tihar Jail.

This was a necessary step after past extradition requests from India were rejected by UK courts, which expressed serious misgivings about jail conditions.

In an effort to allay these fears, the Indian government has formally guaranteed Britain that no extradited individual will be subjected to physical abuse or illegal interrogation.

During their inspection, Indian officials went a step further, assuring the British team that a specialised "enclave" or segregated area could be established within the jail premises. This dedicated section would be created specifically to ensure the safety and security of high-profile accused, offering a secure environment that meets international standards.

The outcome of this visit is significant, as India currently has 178 extradition requests pending globally, with approximately 20 of these stalled in the UK.

The list of fugitives sought from Britain includes not only Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi but also others like arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari and several Khalistani leaders. This collaborative effort marks a key turning point in resolving these long-pending cases.

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