The extradition of high-profile Indian economic offenders, concerns related to Khalistani elements and India’s campaign against cross-border terror are expected to figure during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK this week. PM Narendra Modi meets his British counterpart Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada last month. (PTI)

India has been engaged in discussions with British interlocutors on all these matters, foreign secretary Vikram Misri told a media briefing on Tuesday. The presence of Khalistani extremists in the UK should be a matter of concern to the British side as they impact “social cohesion and social order” in that country, he said.

New Delhi has continued to make the case with London for the economic offenders “to be rendered to India”, Misri said. “Obviously, there is a legal process that such requests and such issues go through in the [UK] and we continue to follow up very closely with our partners in the UK on these matters,” he said while responding to a question on India’s pending requests for the extradition of several economic offenders.

Several high-profile businessmen wanted by India, such as former liquor baron Vijay Mallya and diamantaire Nirav Modi, are currently in the UK. Other fugitives whose extradition has been sought by India include arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, criminal Iqbal Mirchi’s wife Hajra Memon and their sons, and criminals Asiq Iqbal Memon and Junaid Iqbal Memon.

The British side has always maintained that it doesn’t comment on individual cases but is open to working closely with India to address extradition requests. These issues are understood to have figured in discussions during recent visits to India by British officials, including representatives of the Crown Prosecution Service, who have assessed conditions in Indian jails – an issue frequently cited by the lawyers of the fugitives to stymie extradition requests.

Misri said prison conditions have been discussed by both sides, including by the home ministries. “Our effort will be to show them that these conditions can be fulfilled and we can look into their views,” he said, speaking in Hindi. “It is not as if people have not been extradited to India. You are aware that recently Tahawwur Rana was extradited [from the US]. There were similar issues in that case. We can do this work, it is nothing big,” he said, referring to the extradition of the one of the main plotters of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks carried out by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The presence of Khalistani extremists and affiliated organisations in the UK has been brought to the attention of British partners, he said. “This is a matter of concern not only to us but should be a matter of concern to our partners as well because this impacts social cohesion and social order in these other countries as well,” he said.

India has for long pushed Britain to do more to contain the activities of pro-Khalistan elements, who have been involved in violent protests at the Indian high commission in London and have issued threats to Indian diplomats in the UK.

Misri pointed to the recent designation by the US of The Resistance Front (TRF), a front for the LeT, as a foreign terrorist organisation and a “specially designated global terrorist” and said the Prime Minister’s visit will be an opportunity to exchange views with the British side on India’s fight against cross-border terrorism.

“I’m sure our UK colleagues are updated on [the US sanctions against TRF] but this will give us the opportunity to share further views on issues such as cross-border terrorism and the need to respond in a resolute fashion to such challenges,” Misri said.

British foreign secretary David Lammy was involved in efforts to reduce tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack in April that killed 26 civilians. He visited both countries for discussions, though India has insisted that it will handle such matters with Pakistan only bilaterally.