Supreme Court Rejects Plea To Stop UAE Extradition, Affirms Right To Bring Back Law Evaders

The Supreme Court on Wednesday affirmed that the country has the authority to bring back offenders evading the law, rejecting a plea by a man seeking to withdraw an extradition request made to the United Arab Emirates.

The petitioner, Vijay Murlidhar Udhwani, is facing 153 cases, according to authorities. He travelled to Dubai in July 2022 and is accused of involvement in organised illegal activities, including bootlegging and other offences.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing Udhwani’s plea challenging a Gujarat High Court order. The high court had previously dismissed his request to cancel the red corner notice issued against him and to withdraw the extradition request to the UAE.

Addressing the petitioner’s counsel, the Supreme Court bench said, “There are multiple offences... You come back. You will be given a red carpet welcome.”

The counsel contended that 38 prohibition-related offences were registered against Udhwani, but he was unaware of the details of any of them. Noting that Udhwani had travelled to Dubai in July 2022 and had not returned since, the bench emphasised, “The country has a right to bring back offenders who are evading the law.”

The bench also advised that Udhwani could approach the concerned trial court to obtain certified copies of the case documents, adding, “It is not rocket science. There is also a warrant of arrest against you.” Referring to the high court records, the bench pointed out that some case details were already mentioned there.

When the counsel argued that Udhwani had not been provided the FIR details, the bench remarked, “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 counsel further stated that the petitioner wished to return to India but did not have his passport. To this, the bench replied, “They [authorities] will bring you.”

The counsel also raised concerns over the death of one co-accused in custody, though the police clarified it was due to natural causes. He requested that Udhwani be placed under CCTV-monitored custody upon his return due to fear for his life. After the bench indicated it was not inclined to entertain the plea, the counsel withdrew it.

Earlier, before the high court, Udhwani’s counsel had maintained that he was falsely implicated and had no involvement in the alleged offences. He challenged both the red corner notice and