India on Tuesday pressed for extradition of Raymond Varley, a Briton wanted in India for 18 years in connection with sexually abusing children in Goa. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj raised this issue with Foreign Secretary of United Kingdom William Hague during a meeting on Tuesday. Hague is on a two-day visit to India seeking opportunities in defence and infrastructure sector.
Varley was named in a CBI chargesheet in 1996, along with four others for sexual offences against children. While all four were extradited and convicted, Varley remained elusive. In 2012, the CBI issued a red corner notice through Interpol. But India suffered a set-back when the Crown Prosecution Service of UK in May this year rejected India's plea for 66-year-old Varley's extradition after he pleaded leniency on grounds of dementia.
“She (Swaraj) made it clear, India is keen on extradition,” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said.
Meanwhile, India and UK on Tuesday held bilateral talks on issues ranging from trade, defence, visa matters, and extradition issues to skill development, increasing scholarships, science technology, nuclear cooperation. Situation in Iraq and Afghanistan were also part of discussions. India invited British companies to invest in its Bangalore-Mumbai Economic Corridor infrastructure project.
UK is trying to woo India for sale of its Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) despite its Eurofighter Typhoon losing out to Rafale of France in the race. Hague held detailed talks with Defence minister Arun Jaitely and Prime Minister on this. MEA spokesperson said the UK minister indicated technological advantage of the product they have.
Swaraj thanked the British Minister for UK's decision to install Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament Square in london. Hague and Chancellor of Exchequer George Osborne announced the plan to install statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Parliament Square in london by early next year.
“Gandhi's view of communal peace and resistance to division, his desire to drive India forward, and his commitment to non-violence left a legacy that is as relevant today as it was during his life. He remains a towering inspiration and a source of strength. We will honour him with a statue alongside those of other great leaders in Parliament Square,” Hague said.
“New Indian Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi invoked his memory in his inaugural speech to Parliament. I hope this new memorial will be a lasting and fitting tribute to his memory in Britain, and a permanent monument to our friendship with India,” said Osborne.