Extradition treaty halts Tamil Nadu police's bid to nab IOB heist kingpin in Nepal

The Chennai police team are trying to negotiate with Nepal police to bring the suspect to Chennai in connection with the bank heist. 
Image for representational purpose only. (Photo | PTI)
Image for representational purpose only. (Photo | PTI)

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu police made a major breakthrough in the Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) Virugambakkam branch heist by locating the prime suspect with the help of Interpol in Nepal,  but it is facing jurisdictional problems in extraditing him back to the State for interrogation.

Shabilal (48) security guard of Nepal and his son Dillu, who are suspected to be the kingpins in breaking open the safety lockers at the branch on Sunday night managed to flee India, but Shabilal whose past criminal records haunted him, was picked up by Interpol once the father-son duo landed in their country.

A senior police officer confirmed to Express over the issues on Extradition Treaty signed between India and Nepal to get hold of Shabilal. Under the treaty, extradition shall not take place if the person whose extradition is sought by one government, has already been tried and discharged or punished, or is still under trial in the territory of the other for the crime for which the extradition is demanded.

“The Tamil Nadu team in Nepal has sighted all the main criminals there and they are more likely to be arrested. Since there is an issue which I cannot comment on, further details will be informed later,” said a senior police officer.The city police managed to sight the mastermind from Nepal, who was involved in breaking open the locker with the help of Interpol. Based on a tip off by Chennai police, Interpol officials helped Nepal police to nab Shabilal near his native village there.

The Chennai police team are trying to negotiate with Nepal police to bring the suspect to Chennai in connection with the bank heist. Shabilal, Dillu and four other accomplices stole gold, diamond and ruby jewellery from two lockers at the bank at Virugambakkam. The K K Nagar police registered a case
Police tracked Shabilal after interrogating three accomplices who helped him flee. The trio who were detained on Thursday morning were security guards Heelaram and Hur Bahadur, who were working in complexes in Chennai, and Ramesh, a cabdriver in Bengaluru.Police said five teams were deployed to track down the suspects, of which one went to Nepal.

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