London, Dec 12: Sanjay Bhandari, a consultant in the defence sector wanted in India on alleged tax evasion and money laundering charges, began an appeal in the High Court in London against his extradition order.The 62-year-old businessman had won permission to appeal against a November 2022 Westminster Magistrates’ Court ruling clearing his extradition earlier this year.
On Tuesday, his lawyers began making their arguments in the case, which is listed for a three-day hearing this week with the judgment expected in the new year.
Lord Justice Timothy Holroyde and Justice Karen Steyn began hearing representations from barristers James Stansfeld and Edward Fitzgerald at the Royal Courts of Justice on three main grounds of appeal – whether the bar for criminality had been met in the English jurisdiction, whether a prima facie case had been made and whether the accused faces a risk of violence in an Indian prison.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), appearing on behalf of the Indian authorities, will respond to the arguments during the course of the hearing – represented by barristers Ben Keith and Alex du Sautoy.
On Tuesday, they made representations to the judges to allow a video link to be generated for the following days, to allow the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to follow the proceedings from India.
“There is a real risk of violence or extortion from prisoners and prison officers,” claimed Fitzgerald, during his arguments with reference to Delhi’s Tihar Jail where Bhandari is to be lodged if he is extradited.
Then UK Secretary of State, Suella Braverman, had ordered the extradition last year. However, Bhandari, who offered consultancy services to defence manufacturers bidding for Indian government contracts through his firm Offset India Solutions, sought permission to appeal against the verdict of District Judge Michael Snow in the High Court.
