Efforts to extradite high-profile economic offenders such as Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya from the United Kingdom have gained fresh momentum, with a delegation from the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) recently visiting Tihar Jail, an official confirmed on Sunday.
The visit, conducted last week, was part of a legal due diligence process to evaluate prison conditions in India—a critical requirement under UK law before approving extradition requests. Indian authorities are seeking to assure British courts that any extradited individuals will be held in safe and humane conditions that comply with international standards.
During their visit, the CPS team inspected the high-security ward of Tihar Jail and interacted with several inmates. Jail authorities reportedly conveyed their readiness to create a separate, secure enclave within the facility, if necessary, to house high-profile accused, ensuring both their safety and adherence to human rights norms.
UK courts have previously denied extradition requests from India over concerns about prison conditions. In response, New Delhi has stepped up efforts to provide concrete assurances that the rights of the accused will be protected, and that there will be no mistreatment or unlawful interrogation.
Vijay Mallya, who faces loan default charges exceeding ₹9,000 crore, has been living in the UK and continues to contest his extradition. Meanwhile, Nirav Modi, the prime accused in the ₹13,800 crore Punjab National Bank fraud case, was declared a fugitive offender in 2019 and arrested in the UK later that year. A London court has already cleared his extradition, though he continues to pursue appeals.
India remains committed to securing the return of several economic fugitives, with prison reform and legal assurances forming a key part of its diplomatic and judicial strategy.
