India and UK working on legal scrubbing, other work for FTA: FS Misri

Foreign secretary Vikram Misri, on the eve of PM Narendra Modi’s London trip, stated that India is continuing to “make the case” for the extradition of fugitives Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya from the United Kingdom as part of their ongoing efforts to secure the return of these individuals wanted for legal proceedings in India.

Misri said the issue of Khalistani extremists in the UK is also a matter of concern for New Delhi.

Addressing a special briefing here, Misri said, “We are working on the legal scrubbing and other last-minute work for the FTA…The UK is the sixth-largest investor in India, with cumulative investment of $36 billion. Interestingly, India is also a major investor in the UK, with nearly $20 billion in cumulative FDI.”

The highlight of the UK tour could be the signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). “There are a few questions related to fugitives from Indian law and Indian justice in the UK. These have been a matter of discussion between both sides, and we have continued to make the case for these fugitives to be rendered to India. Obviously, there is a legal process that such requests and such issues go through in the other country, and we continue to follow up very closely with our partners in the UK on these,” he said.

Misri said the Prime Minister will embark on an official visit to the UK on July 23, for discussions with Keir Starmer, UK’s PM. He will also call on King Charles III. An interaction is also planned with the business leaders, from India and the UK. This will be Modi’s fourth visit to the UK since assuming office.

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