Arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari allowed to challenge extradition to India

British arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, wanted in India, has received court approval to appeal against his extradition to India.

London’s High Court has given Sanjay Bhandari the chance to appeal against his extradition order, which will result in him being sent back to India to face trial.

The decision comes after Bhandari faced an extradition order at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in November 2022, accused of tax evasion and money laundering in India.

British Secretary of State Suela Braverman An order for his extradition to India was issued last year This was after the Westminster Court issued the order, news agency PTI reported.

However, the 62-year-old businessman, who through his company Offset India Solutions advises defense manufacturers bidding for Indian government contracts, has sought permission to appeal the verdict.

“I am satisfied that the grounds are reasonably arguable,” Judge Pushpinder Saini ruled after a half-day renewal appeal hearing on Thursday.

The case will go to a four-day substantive hearing at London’s Royal Courts of Justice later this year.

Bhandari, represented by Janes Solicitors, sought leave to appeal the lower court decision on eight grounds, three of which were granted in a court order by Judge Robert Jay last October and the other four this year. was approved at Zhou’s hearing.

The High Court ruling has made way for a four-day substantive hearing at London’s Royal Courts of Justice later this year.

“Further evidence will be considered at the substantive hearing but does not affect the case of the respondent (Government of India) that it is not decisive,” Justice Jay’s order last year read.

Judge Saini allowed Bhandari to appeal on grounds 1, 2 and 6, as well as other grounds involving human rights issues, reversal of factual burdens and systemic delays.

The grounds were considered relevant because they were held in lengthy pre-trial detention in Indian jails ahead of extradition hearings.

The appeal was based on the claim that the district judge erred in concluding the extradition offense and establishing a prima facie case against Bhandari.

On the other hand, the Indian government, represented by Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) barrister Alex du Sautoy, argued that “any new grounds of appeal have no basis and leave should be refused” “.

Bhandari’s conduct, which allegedly involved concealing overseas assets and providing false information to tax authorities, has been challenged in UK jurisdictions as potentially amounting to “fraud by misrepresentation” and will now be challenged in the High Court.