UK Team Inspects Tihar Jail as India Seeks Extradition of Fugitives

A team from the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) recently visited Delhi’s Tihar Jail. This visit is connected to India’s efforts to extradite fugitives such as Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi. The CPS team inspected Jail No. 4, which houses first-time offenders and high-security prisoners, according to prison officials. They spoke with inmates and assessed the jail’s facilities and security. The UK’s interest stems from previous concerns raised by British courts regarding the conditions of Indian prisons, a factor in extradition hearings. India has assured the UK that extradited individuals will be held in safe and lawful conditions, without being subjected to illegal interrogation. The UK team, composed of four officials, along with two officers from the British High Commission, examined high-security wards and interacted with inmates during their pre-scheduled visit on July 16. Jail No. 4, known as a “Mulaija Jail,” is designed to separate first-time offenders from habitual criminals to aid in their rehabilitation. Plans are being considered to establish a separate high-security section within the jail for high-profile or sensitive prisoners. India has submitted 178 extradition requests to various countries, including 20 to the UK, as of 2024. Vijay Mallya faces accusations of defaulting on bank loans totaling over Rs 9,000 crore, while Nirav Modi is the primary suspect in the Rs 13,800 crore Punjab National Bank fraud. Nirav Modi has been officially declared a fugitive economic offender, and his extradition has been approved by a UK court.