Two Britons serving 10-year jail term to be sent back

Two British prisoners undergoing a 10-year sentence for drug peddling in Maharashtra and Rajasthan will be sent back next week to their country where they will undergo the remaining part of their prison term.

Two British prisoners undergoing a 10-year sentence for drug peddling in Maharashtra and Rajasthan will be sent back next week to their country where they will undergo the remaining part of their prison term.

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A direction to this effect has been issued by the home ministry to the two state governments, official sources said on Friday.

Jeofry William Whit Comde and Patrick Thomas George Mallzzo were convicted under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and are serving their sentence at the Central Prison in Nasik, Maharashtra, and Central Jail in Kota, Rajasthan respectively.

"Both had requested the government to be allowed to complete the rest of their sentence in their own country. The government has agreed and both are being transferred under the Indo-UK agreement on transfer of sentenced prisoners. By next week they will be flown off to their own country," the sources said.

The bilateral agreement, signed by the then home minister Shivraj Patil and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw in February 2005, is a part of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty between the two countries.

Under the agreement requests by British nationals sentenced in India and Indian nationals in that country wishing to return home and complete their jail term would be considered by the respective governments.

Both the prisoners will brought to Tihar jail here before being flown to the UK.