India will seek the UK’s help in early extradition of liquor baron Vijay Mallya and tracing diamantaire Nirav Modi during the third Indo-UK Home Affairs dialogue, starting on Wednesday. Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba will hold discussions with his British counterpart, and the two are expected to discuss return of illegal migrants, Khalistani militants and the issue of women abandoned by Indian-origin and NRI spouses, said officials. Mallya, facing CBI and ED investigations, is accused of defrauding Indian banks of Rs 9,000 crore. He left India on March 2, 2016, and was arrested by Scotland Yard next year on an extradition warrant. Out on bail, Mallya is fighting the extradition case in a UK court. Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, who left India early this year, are wanted by authorities for allegedly duping Punjab National Bank of Rs 13,000 crore. Read | PM Modi told May about condition of Indian jails: ‘Same ones where British kept Gandhi, Nehru’ Besides Mallya and Modi, New Delhi may also take up the case involving former IPL chairman Lalit Modi. India and UK signed the MoU on exchange of information for the purpose of combating international criminality and tackling serious organised crime during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to London last month. However, the issue related to illegal migrants were kept out. It may be recalled that British home secretary Amber Rudd had to resign over the migrants controversy and was replaced by India-Pakistan origin Sajid Javid in April this year. The text of the MoU was finalised during the visit of MoS (Home) Kiren Rijiju to London following his meeting with British immigration minister Caroline Nokes in January. Indian officials, however, raised objections to the 70-day deadline set in the MoU for verifying and confirming the identity of illegal immigrants, saying it was too short. MHA officials said that as per UK’s estimates, there were more than 45,000 illegal Indians in the UK. They added that India may also raise the issue of visa problems faced by Indians, including delays in student visa decisions, visa to skilled professionals and dependents of Indian diplomats, the high amount charged for UK visas and lengthy waiting period for tourist visas, during the two-hour dialogue. Matters related to the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and strengthening of intelligence-sharing mechanism will also be taken up, the sources said. The India-UK home affairs dialogue was set up during British Prime Minister Theresa May’s visit to India in November 2016.
