SC moved for Quattrocchi's extradition

An application was moved before the Supreme Court today, seeking a direction to the government to take immediate steps for extradition of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi.

The application, filed by advocate Ajay Agrawal, has sought direction to the CBI to submit status report on the steps taken for Quattrocchi's extradition. The Italian businessman, wanted in the Bofors pay-off case for the last 14 years, was detained and taken in preventive custody on February 6 at Iguazu airport while in transit to Buenos Aires.

Further, Left parties asked the UPA government to make all efforts to facilitate the extradition of Quattrocchi to India, to face trial.

Quattrocchi's detention in Argentina "has provided an opportunity to bring him to India to face investigation and trial in the Bofors case," the CPI(M) Politburo said in a statement, adding that the "UPA government must make all efforts with the Argentinian government to ensure that Quattrocchi is extradited to India".

The CPI National Secretary, D Raja, said since there is no extradition treaty between India and Argentina, the government should take up the matter with its Argentinian counterpart to give some "credibility" to the whole issue.

"If he (Quattrocchi) is innocent, he should offer himself to appear before any of the investigative agency or the court of law to prove his point... But why has he been evading," he said.