India waiting on SA over Gupta
The two countries are members of Brics and have an extradition treaty for criminals and fugitives.
India is awaiting a request from the SA government for assistance in tracing fugitive Gupta family member.
The Indian government is awaiting a request from South Africa for assistance in tracing fugitive Ajay Gupta. According to reports, the businessperson fled South Africa prior to former president Jacob Zuma’s resignation last week, and has since been spotted at several locations in India.
The Times of India and the SABC reported that Gupta was in Dehradun when Zuma resigned. He evaded arrest after elite investigative unit the Hawks raided the Gupta family home in Saxonwold, Johannesburg, last week during an investigation into the Estina Dairy Farm project in the Free State.
Gupta brothers Atul and Ajay have reportedly been spotted in various other cities over the last few days. They allegedly attended a religious function in their hometown Saharanpur, before being spotted at a wedding in the city of Agra. Ajay is said to have cut his stay short at his palatial home in Dehardun, having left in a chopper to an unknown location.
The Gupta family enjoy the highest order of state security for private citizens in their home country under level Z.
Ajay was escorted by police to Sahastradhara airport when he was leaving the city and is believed to have stayed in the family mansion until February 16, after the news of Zuma’s resignation broke, according to reports.
The paper reported that during his stay in Dehradun, Ajay did not leave the bungalow.
While South Africa has an extradition treaty for criminals and fugitives with India, the Indian High Commission in Pretoria told The Citizen yesterday it has yet to receive a request for assistance in tracing Atul.
It was unable to say whether the Indian government was actually aware of a fugitive from justice being in their country.
It also emerged yesterday that Atul was in Dubai when he filed an affidavit as part of his application to set aside a preservation order valued at R10 million obtained against him by the Asset Forfeiture Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
In the affidavit dated February 8, 2018, Atul denies he unduly benefitted from the Estina Dairy Farm project, claiming the state had put no evidence of this. The NPA said it would be opposing the application.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports that the Hawks are looking for Zuma’s son Duduzane have surfaced. Travel records obtained by Rapport reportedly show Duduzane left SA on an Emirates flight to Dubai on Sunday.