The Supreme Court refused to stop the extradition of a fugitive facing 153 cases, stating that the country has full authority to bring back offenders hiding abroad. The court made it clear that escaping to foreign nations will not shield criminals from Indian law.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has clearly stated that India has the full right to bring back people who run away to foreign countries to escape the law.
On Wednesday, the apex court refused to hear a petition filed by Vijay Murlidhar Udhwani, who sought the Indian government’s withdrawal of its extradition request sent to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for his return to India.
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According to government authorities, around 153 criminal cases have been registered against Udhwani. He left India and travelled to Dubai in July 2022. He is accused of being involved in organised criminal activities, especially illegal bootlegging and other serious offences.
A Red Corner Notice has also been issued against him to trace and arrest him through international coordination.
The case was heard by a bench consisting of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta. Udhwani had challenged the Gujarat High Court’s decision, which had earlier rejected his plea to cancel the Red Corner Notice and stop the extradition process started by Indian authorities.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court made strong remarks and told the petitioner’s lawyer,
“There are multiple offences… You come back. You will be given a red carpet welcome,”
making it clear that the court was not convinced by his arguments.
The lawyer argued that although 38 prohibition-related cases were registered, the petitioner was not aware of the details of any of them. On this, the bench pointed out that Udhwani had been in Dubai since July 2022 and had not returned to India ever since.
The court firmly stated,
“The country has a right to bring back offenders who are evading the law,”
emphasising that no person can escape justice by staying abroad.
The judges also said that Udhwani could approach the trial court in India and apply for certified copies of case documents if he wanted details.
The bench added,
“It is not rocket science. There is also a warrant of arrest against you,”
making it clear that legal procedures were already in place and his claims of ignorance were weak.
When the lawyer said his client was not served proper copies of FIRs, the court remarked sharply,
“You want the FIR details to be served to you on a platter in Dubai? You come here. They will provide you the details with full fanfare”.
The lawyer further stated that Udhwani wished to return to India but did not have his passport. In response, the bench replied, “They (authorities) will bring you,” indicating that extradition proceedings would ensure his return regardless.
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The counsel also claimed that one of the co-accused had died in custody and that the petitioner feared for his safety. He requested that if Udhwani returned to India, he should be kept under CCTV surveillance for protection. However, the police maintained that the death was natural and not due to misconduct.
Seeing the court’s unwillingness to entertain the plea, the lawyer finally withdrew the petition.
Earlier, before the Gujarat High Court, Udhwani had argued that he was falsely implicated and had no connection with the alleged crimes. He had claimed that his offences were neither serious nor social crimes that required a Red Corner Notice or extradition.
However, the state government opposed his claims and informed the court that apart from prohibition cases, Udhwani was also allegedly involved in serious crimes such as forgery, smuggling and money laundering. It was also pointed out that the Enforcement Directorate had already taken cognisance of the matter.
While dismissing his plea, the Gujarat High Court had clearly observed,
“In the present case, however, this court has come to the conclusion that no irregularity has been noticed in initiating the proceedings to secure or procure the presence of the present petitioner,”
thereby upholding the legality of the extradition and Red Corner Notice process.
This Supreme Court decision reinforces India’s strong stand against fugitives who leave the country to avoid prosecution and sends a clear message that evasion of law will not be tolerated, even across international borders.
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