UK court to see video of Mumbai jail
LONDON: The Westminster Magistrates Court, hearing the extradition case of Vijay Mallya, will on Wednesday see a video of Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail, where the fugitive liquor baron would be lodged if he is deported to India to face charges of financial offences running into thousands of crores.
The video, submitted by the Indian government recently, will be played out on the court’s TV screens at what is expected to be the final hearing in the extradition case .
Poor prison conditions have been one of the main reasons for most of India’s extradition requests failing in British courts since the India-united Kingdom extradition treaty was signed in 1993. The courts have a duty to ensure that the person sought will not face the risk of human rights being breached.
As directed by the court at the last hearing on July 31, the video is intended to show ‘step-by-step’ the conditions of access to the barrack number 12 which has a capacity of six. It was also directed that the video be shot during mid-day, without artificial light. Mallya’s counsel had cited several alleged lapses in India’s prisons, based on evidence provided by expert Alan Mitchell.
The home ministry has submitted ‘sovereign assurances’ on behalf of the Indian state that Mallya will not face risk of violence, and also submitted detailed photographs showing the facilities that would be available.