UK judge handling Mallya case rejects another extradition petition, slams CBI

LONDON: The British judge dealing with India’s request to extradite controversial businessman Vijay Mallya has rejected the extradition of another individual and his wife wanted for bank fraud, and rapped the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for its handling of the case.

The persons sought were Jatinder Kumar Angurala and his wife Asha Rani Angurala, for alleged fraud of about £24,000 between 1990 and 1993. At the time, Angurala was manager of a branch of the Bank of India in Jalandhar. Their extradition proceedings began in April 2015.

Emma Arbuthnot, chief magistrate in the Westminster magistrates court, who is also hearing Mallya’s case, turned down the extradition request “by reason of passage of time” on October 12 and expressed surprise at CBI’S actions, according to the detailed judgment available now.

As manager of the bank's Malri branch in Nakodar, Jalandhar, Angurala was accused of cheating the bank with his wife and others, fraudulently sanctioning and paying out loans to himself, his wife and co-conspirators between October 1990 and April 1993. He later admitted the irregularities and promised to repay. He deposited money in several accounts but did not repay the full amount. He was suspended in April 1993 and travelled to Britain in August the same year. He later took British citizenship. The judgment called Angurala “a man of good character” and noted that he sent British postal orders to the bank in Jalandhar to repay some staff loans. It recalled that an Indian judge had noted in 2001 that even when his postal orders were received, the bank or CBI made no effort to nab him.