India to execute UAE civil court verdicts

Loan defaulters and other convicts will be pursued in India

Indian courts will now enforce the verdicts of the UAE civil courts, dealing a blow to loan defaulters and other civil case convicts who absconded to India, Gulf News can reveal.

India on Saturday issued a gazette notification declaring the UAE as a reciprocating territory for the Code of Civil Procedure and identifying the superior courts here, thereby facilitating the execution of UAE civil court orders through Indian courts.

Indian Ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor confirmed to Gulf News that the notification implies that the civil and commercial court orders from the UAE courts identified as “superior” can now be executed through the district courts in India.

Kapoor confirmed that the move would help in enforcement of civil and commercial court verdicts in financial cases such as loan defaults, bounced cheques as well as verdicts in divorce cases.

The move will be a game changer in the execution of civil verdicts in financial cases, said Indian lawyer Femin Panikkassery.

“This will be a big warning to those who flee to India after taking huge loans from banks. Earlier, most of the banks and individuals found it difficult to recover their money if the accused had fled to India. Now, they can approach the district courts in India directly seeking execution of the UAE court orders.”

Prior to this, he said, there was a long and expensive procedure for executing a court verdict from here in India.

■ Federal Supreme Court

■ Federal, First Instance and Appeals Courts in the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah.

■ Abu Dhabi Judicial Department

■ Dubai Courts

■ Ras Al Khaimah Judicial Department

■ Courts of Abu Dhabi Global Markets

■ Courts of Dubai International Financial Centre