Vijay Mallya Case: PM Modi seeks UK PM's help on 'escaped offenders'

As India works hard to ensure return of fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today sought his British counterpart Theresa May to bring back economic offenders from the country.

The liquor baron has been in the UK since 2016, escaping arrest warrants against him, while a court in London is also hearing a case regarding his return to India.

PM Modi today met the British prime minister during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg and sought UK's help in this regard.

Both leaders also talked about the complete range of India-UK ties.

Mr Mallya is wanted in India for Kingfisher Airlines' default on loans worth nearly Rs. 9,000 crore, has been in the UK since March 2016.

In April, he had attended a central London police station for his arrest and was released on conditional bail a few hours later after providing a bail bond worth 650,000 pounds, assuring the court of abiding by all conditions associated with extradition proceedings, such as the surrender of his passport and a ban on him possessing any travel documents.

India and the UK have an Extradition Treaty, signed in 1992, but so far only one extradition has taken place under the arrangement -- Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel, who was sent back to India last October to face trial in connection with his involvement in the post-Godhra riots of 2002.

"Prime Ministers @narendramodi and @theresa_may met and held talks on the complete range of India-UK ties," India's PMO said in a tweet.

-PTI