A production warrant has issued by the Delhi court for May 24 against a foreign fugitive, who is currently in judicial custody in Mumbai after being arrested last month, to extradite him to the US.
The order came after the government moved the court for issuance of production warrant against 57-year-old Christopher Godfrey, a UK citizen, saying it has received a request to extradite him to the US where he is wanted in a bank fraud case for which he was to serve a 41-month jail term.
Godfrey was arrested in Mumbai on April 7 after a request for extraditing him was received from American authorities. He is in judicial custody till May 13.
“FC (fugitive criminal) is stated to be apprehended and arrested on April 7, 2013, by the Additional Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, pursuant to a request from the requesting state (the US) for the provisional arrest for the purpose of extradition of FC and he is presently in JC of ACMM…Mumbai and the judicial custody of the FC expires on May 13.” “In the facts and circumstances, let production warrant be issued for providing FC in the court along with passport and other relevant documents through Assistant Director, CBI (Interpol) for May 24,” Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Sudesh Kumar said.
Advocate Naveen Kumar Matta, who appeared for the Centre, told the court that the Ministry of External Affairs had received a request from the US to extradite Godfrey for serving the jail term which was awarded by a court in northern district of Illinois.
Referring to the request received from the US, Matta said Godfrey was charged on two counts there — one for bank fraud and the other for making a false statement to the bank.
An arrest warrant was issued against him by the US court on March 12 last year.
As per the records received from the US, between February 2002 and April 2004, Godfrey had defrauded and attempted to defraud four banks of USD 9.55 million.
The US officials, in the documents sent to the MEA, said Godfrey had submitted fraudulent bank loan applications in an effort to obtain commercial loans and he received a business loan of USD 9,33,370 from a bank by lying about his business clients, his residence and a fake life insurance policy.
They said after receiving the loan, Godfrey had defaulted in repaying USD 7,32,651 to the bank.
After being convicted and sentenced by the court there, Godfrey had fled from the US and come to Mumbai in March this year.
