The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rejected bookie Sanjeev Chawla's application against his extradition to India. An EHRC spokesman confirmed the rejection of Chawla's request for an interim measure. The 28-day period now kicks in to extradite Chawla to India which could be anytime in the next few days.
British national Chawla appealed on the basis of Article 3 of the European Human Rights Convention to which the UK is a signatory and the EHRC took the decision after receiving assurances from the British High Commission in New Delhi pertaining to consular access that is the right of a British national.
Chawla was extradited by Westminster Magistrates Court in October, 2017, but raised concerns about human rights which was successfully challenged by the Indian authorities. Chawla also moved the Royal Court of Justice for permission to appeal which was denied on January 16, 2020.
The Royal Court of Justice's two-judge bench of Lord Justice David Bean and Justice Clive Lewis concluded that they were "satisfied that permission to appeal should be refused". Chawla's lawyers had tried to establish that their client has a statutory right to appeal against the district judge's order sent to the UK home secretary for a sign-off.
That submission was challenged by the UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on behalf of the Indian authorities on the grounds that it is a "disguised attempt" at reopening the entire case. “Nobody wants this case to go off to another day after all the delay," Lord Justice Bean said. Chawla was wanted in India for allegedly fixing cricket matches in the year 2000.
