Prohibition Cases Are A Social Offence, Junk Extradition Plea: Bootlegger To Gujarat HC

Vijay Udhwani, also known as Viju Sindhi, a purported bootlegger from Vadodara, filed a petition in the Gujarat High Court challenging the Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN) against him and the central government’s request for extradition to the UAE.

Sindhi argued that cases involving the prohibition of alcohol are only social offences and do not warrant the use of Interpol or extradition.

In a plea filed by Sindhi’s wife through Lawyer Rahul Sharma, Sindhi stated that he went to Dubai last July.

Following a request from Gujarat Police, Interpol issued an RCN against him, and the central government requested extradition from the UAE government on September 12, 2022. As a result, he was arrested in Dubai and released on bail after paying 200,000 UAE dirhams and surrendering his and his guarantor’s passports.

According to Sindhi, issuing an RCN for 38 bootlegging FIRs under the Gujarat Prohibition Act violates fundamental Interpol guidelines, which “clearly specify that these notices can be issued only in respect to serious crimes & cannot be issued for social crimes.” Prohibition is nothing but an example of a social crime”. This is why Sindhi wants the High Court to reject the RCN and extradition request.

The argument makes reference to Article 83(1)(a)(i) of Interpol’s Rules on the Processing of Data, which states that offences that violate social or cultural values cannot result in the issue of an RCN.

It contends that the Center’s request for extradition is illegal, unconstitutional, and obviously an abuse of power because cases regarding the prohibition of alcohol cannot be extradited.

Additionally, he claimed that he wanted to visit his family in India but was unable to do so because he had to give his passport in order to meet the terms of his bail conditions.