Delhi HC directs Centre to fast-track extradition of US-based accused; trial to end within a year
NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court has directed the Centre to expedite the extradition of US-based accused Amit Wadhwa and asked the trial court to conclude the long-pending criminal proceedings preferably within one year.The directions were issued by Justice Neena Bansal Krishna while disposing of a writ petition filed by complainant Sheenam Raheja, who has been pursuing the case for more than a decade. The petition sought urgent steps to secure Wadhwa’s extradition from the United States and to ensure expeditious disposal of the criminal case arising out of an FIR registered under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120B of the IPC with the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police.Appearing for the petitioner before the High Court, Advocate Vivek Gupta submitted that despite the FIR being registered in 2009 and the investigation having concluded years ago, no effective steps were taken for a prolonged period to secure the presence of the accused, who continues to reside in the U.S. He argued that the inordinate delay has caused serious prejudice to the complainant, who alleges matrimonial cruelty and financial fraud involving the withdrawal of over ₹1.26 crore from her bank account. Earlier, Advocate Ravi Drall, counsel for the complainant before the trial court at Tis Hazari, had stated that the accused is the complainant’s husband and is facing multiple proceedings, including contempt, matrimonial disputes, and cheating cases arising from the same set of facts. He also noted that, despite representations, the EOW took no effective action to bring the accused back from the US.On behalf of the Union of India, Central Government Standing Counsel Jagdish Chandra informed the Court that the extradition request has been pursued with US authorities, including the Department of Justice, and was last taken up in May 2025.The High Court noted that the accused has already been declared a proclaimed offender and is fully aware of the proceedings, having even participated in contempt proceedings through video conferencing. Observing that the matter has been pending since 2016, the Court directed the trial court to expedite the proceedings and conclude the trial within a year, and instructed the Centre to take prompt, practical steps to accelerate the process of extradition.The Court also noted the complainant’s persistent efforts, including filing RTI Act applications to ascertain the status of the extradition request, which revealed that progress in the matter occurred only after her repeated follow-ups.