DESIGNATED UK COURT approves extradition to India of Ravi Shankaran

Jalandhar, March 28, 2013: A Designated UK Court has ruled in favour of extradition to India of Ravi Shankaran, an accused in a case relating to leakage of classified documents from the  Navy War Room. The court dismissed Ravi Shankaran’s appeal against extradition, and referred the matter to the UK’s Secretary of State for orders of extradition, as per procedure.

In his appeal to the Court against extradition, Ravi Shankaran tried to discredit the evidence provided by the CBI, which is mostly electronic in form, by submitting an expert report in the Extradition Court. This report was successfully countered by the CBI
investigators  and forensic experts who tendered evidence in the Extradition Court.

In December 2011, the Extradition Court in UK had ruled that there was an answerable case against Ravi Shankaran. The defence
however, raised the issues like admissibility of evidence as well as human rights issues and jail conditions in India. One of the major
issues was possibility of bail to the defendant during trial in India. As all other accused in this case are already on bail, therefore, in
order to ensure the possibility of the availability of Ravi Shankaran for trial, CBI gave an undertaking that his bail will not be opposed
by CBI, subject to conditions.

Ravi Shankaran, prime accused in the Navy War Room leak case, had left India even prior to registration of case by CBI in 2006. During the course of investigation, his passport was got revoked by CBI and a Red Notice was issued by Interpol, on the request of CBI.
After he was charge sheeted, arrest warrants were issued and he was subsequently declared Proclaimed Offender by the Trial Court and his known assets in India stand attached.

As Ravi Shankaran was traced in the United Kingdom, a request for his extradition was sent to UK in 2007 itself. On the basis of the arrest warrants issued by the Indian Court, a London court also issued similar warrants, and he was arrested in April, 2010 and
granted conditional bail by the Extradition Court in UK.

The Indian High Commission in London succeeded in getting a seasoned Queens Counsel and a Barrister appointed by the Crown
Prosecution Services, UK to present the case on behalf of Govt. of India.  In order to prepare the case, the Counsels in UK were in
constant touch with the CBI investigators and prosecutors. Finally, vide order dated March 27, 2013, Extradition Court in London sent
Ravi Shankaran’s case to the Secretary of State to order his extradition. Now the Secretary of State, United Kingdom has to take
final decision in this matter, which may take up to 2 months time. The said decision is challengeable in High Courts in UK.