A Delhi court has issued production warrant for May 24 against a foreign fugitive, who is currently in judicial custody in Mumbai after being arrested last month, to extradite him to the US.
The order came after the government moved the court for issuance of production warrant against 57-year-old Christopher Godfrey, a UK citizen, saying it has received a request to extradite him to the US where he is wanted in a bank fraud case for which he was to serve a 41-month jail term.
Godfrey was arrested in Mumbai on April 7 after a request for extraditing him was received from American authorities. He is in judicial custody till May 13.
"FC (fugitive criminal) is stated to be apprehended and arrested on April 7, 2013, by the Additional Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, pursuant to a request from the requesting state (the US) for the provisional arrest for the purpose of extradition of FC and he is presently in JC of ACMM...Mumbai and the judicial custody of the FC expires on May 13."
"In the facts and circumstances, let production warrant be issued for providing FC in the court along with passport and other relevant documents through Assistant Director, CBI (Interpol) for May 24," Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Sudesh Kumar said.
Advocate Naveen Kumar Matta, who appeared for the Centre, told the court that the Ministry of External Affairs had received a request from the US to extradite Godfrey for serving the jail term which was awarded by a court in northern district of Illinois.
Referring to the request received from the US, Matta said Godfrey was charged on two counts there -- one for bank fraud and the other for making a false statement to the bank.
An arrest warrant was issued against him by the US court on March 12 last year.
