NEW DELHI: The government on Sept.16 approved a Treaty to be signed between India and the United Kingdom for extradition of militants and their prosecution. It also approved an agreement to be signed between the two countries providing for investigation and prosecution of those indulging in militants, Federal home minister, S.B.Chavan, is leaving on a weeklong visit to the UK on Sept.19 to sign the Extradition Treaty with his counterpart,

This will be the culmination of the long drawn-out negotiations between the two countries on curbing of London-based militancy and terrorism,

The draft of the Treaty and an agreement providing for confiscation of funds of individuals or Organizations engaged in drug trafficking and terrorist activity were finalized by the officials of the two sides in February.

The Treaty codifies political offences which make it incumbent on individuals sought to be punished, to prove that the government asking for their extradition have no malafide intentions,

In cases where they cannot be extradited, there is a provision for their trial in the country they happened to be at that time.

In a situation, where someone in the U.K. is held to be part of a chain that perpetrates a crime in India, he could be Subject to specified requirements extradited or tried there,

Under the agreement, the assets of those involved in terrorism or drug trafficking would be confiscated in not only in their countries, but also in other countries.

Article extracted from this publication >> September 25, 1992