Court allows extradition of criminal to US

A fugitive criminal, wanted in the US to serve 41-month jail term in a bank fraud case, has been allowed to be extradited to the requesting state by a Delhi court.

A fugitive criminal, wanted in the US to serve 41-month jail term in a bank fraud case, has been allowed to be extradited to the requesting state by a Delhi court.

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Allowing the plea of External Affairs Ministry, which had forwarded the extradition request of the US administration, the court recommended to the Centre to extradite 57-year-old Christopher Godfrey, a UK citizen, to the US to serve the jail term.

"In view of my above report, I hereby recommend to Union of India the extradition of fugitive criminal Christopher Godfrey to the requesting state i.e. the United States of America," Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Sudesh Kumar said.

The court allowed the plea of advocate Naveen Kumar Matta, who appeared for the Centre, that the offences committed by Godfrey were extraditable and were covered under extradition agreement entered into between the two countries

Matta had told the court that Godfrey was arrested in Mumbai on April 7 after a request for extraditing him was received from the US authorities.

The US authorities had requested for Godfrey's extradition saying he has to serve the jail term awarded to him by a court in northern district of Illinois.

Godfrey was charged on two counts, one for bank fraud and the other for making a false statement to the bank and anarrest warrant was issued against him by the US court on March15 last year, the US authorities said in their documents sent along with the extradition request.

As per the records received from the US, between February 002 and April 2004, Godfrey had defrauded and attempted to defraud four banks of $ 9.55 million in Illinois and California.