US requests India for arrest of KVP

US requests India for arrest of KVP
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Highlights

US Requests India for Arrest of K V P Ramachandra Rao, it was only on Wednesday that K V P Ramachandra Rao (Cong) and T Seetha Mahalakshmi.

  • Routes a letter through the Interpol to the CBI
  • It also urges Interpol for issue of Red Corner Notice against KVP
  • An American court has indicted the Rajya Sabha MP
  • US seeks forfeiture from all six defendants of over $10.59 mn
  • They allegedly misused US institutions for bribing Indian officials
  • CBI reportedly forwarded the letter to the AP police

New Delhi: In a dramatic development, the United States has requested India for “provisional arrest” of Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member K V P Ramachandra Rao, following his indictment by an American court in an alleged mining scam involving bribes of $ 18.5 million for allowing mining of Titanium minerals in Andhra Pradesh. In a letter sent by National Crime Bureau of the US through Interpol to CBI, the US authorities have said Rao should be put under provisional arrest till all the documents were handed over to India through diplomatic channels, sources said.

Significantly, it was only on Wednesday that K V P Ramachandra Rao (Cong) and T Seetha Mahalakshmi (TDP), along with Ranjib Biswal (Cong) and Rajkumar Dhoot (Shiv Sena) took oath as members of the Rajya Sabha, following their recent election to the Upper-House. The CBI, while executing the warrant, will have to produce the defendant before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court (Extradition Court) Patiala in Delhi and once the extradition court gives its nod, he will be taken to the US for trial. Sources stated that the CBI, which received a letter sent by the US National Crime Bureau through Interpol to the CBI for provisional arrest, forwarded the letter to the Andhra Pradesh Police asking them to take action against KVP.

The US also informed CBI that Interpol had already been approached for issuance of a Red Corner Notice against Rao. The mining project was expected to generate more than $ 500 million annually from the sale of titanium products, including sales to unnamed Company A, headquartered in Chicago. Apart from Rao, the others charged are Hungarian businessman Andras Knopp, 75, Suren Gevorgyan, 40, of Ukraine, Gajendra Lal, 50, an Indian national and permanent resident of the US who formerly resided in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Periyasamy Sunderalingam, 60, of Sri Lanka.

The US indictment seeks forfeiture from all six defendants of more than $10.59 million and alleges that these individuals used US financial institutions to engage in the international transmission of millions of dollars for the purpose of bribing Indian public officials to obtain approval of the necessary licenses for the project. They allegedly financed the project and transferred and concealed bribe payments through an international conglomerate of companies besides using threats and intimidation to advance the interests of the enterprise's illegal activities.

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