‘Try Davy in Denmark’

Extradition possibility bleak, CBI makes last-ditch effort.

As a last-ditch effort to bring Kim Davy to book, the Central Bureau of Investigation has requested the Denmark to put him on trial there.

Davy, alias Niels Holck, 49, is the alleged mastermind in the Purulia arms drop case. But he is a Danish citizen and a Danish court has refused to extradite him to India to face trial. There is hardly any chance now of getting him extradited to India, said a CBI officer.

At the recent 80th General Assembly meet of the Interpol at Hanoi in Vietnam, the CBI also discussed the possibility of holding Davy's trial via video-conferencing by an Indian court.

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"The Danish government and courts have to first agree to put Davy on trial," the officer said. "In case they agree to our proposal, it would have to be determined if the CBI can assist them or if his trial can be held by video-conferencing. We are exploring all possibilities."

On December 17, 1995 an aircraft dropped a huge cache of sophisticated arms in West Bengal's Purulia district.

Davy allegedly confessed to masterminding the conspiracy in a Danish court. But he described it as a "political crime against the then communist government in West Bengal, not a terrorist act."

On June 30, a five-judge bench of the Eastern High Court of Denmark had rejected the Danish government's order to extradite Davy.

The court pointed out that India has not ratified the UN torture convention and expressed apprehension that Davy may be subjected to torture in India.

The order came despite India giving an undertaking that Davy would not receive death penalty and in case he is convicted, he would be allowed to serve his jail term in Denmark.

The Danish government has not moved the country's supreme court to challenge the order.