Sanjay Bhandari, a UK-based arms dealer wanted in India for tax evasion and money laundering, has been granted permission by a London court to appeal against his extradition order to India.
The High Court in London has allowed Bhandari to appeal the extradition order issued by Westminster Magistrates’ Court in November 2022, which would have resulted in his return to India to face trial.
This decision comes after Bhandari, accused of various charges in India, sought permission to appeal against the verdict issued by the lower court. UK Secretary of State Suella Braverman had previously issued the extradition order.
Justice Pushpinder Saini, after a renewal appeal hearing, ruled that he was "satisfied" that the grounds for appeal were reasonably arguable. The case will now proceed to a four-day substantive hearing later this year at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
Represented by Janes Solicitors, Bhandari sought permission to appeal against the lower court verdict on several grounds, including human rights issues, the reversed burden of truth, and system delays, among others.
The appeal is based on the assertion that the District Judge made erroneous conclusions regarding the extradition offenses and the establishment of a prima facie case against Bhandari.
On the other hand, the Government of India, represented by barrister Alex du Sautoy for the UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), argued against the appeal, stating that there was no merit in any of the renewed grounds of appeal.
Bhandari's alleged conduct, including concealing overseas assets and providing false information to tax authorities, is being challenged as potentially constituting "fraud by false representation" in British jurisdiction, which will now be subject to a High Court challenge.
