The Aryavarth Express
New Delhi:
The Delhi High Court has directed the Central government to fast-track the extradition of US-based accused Amit Wadhwa and instructed the trial court to conclude the long-pending criminal proceedings preferably within one year.
The directions were issued by Justice Neena Bansal Krishna while disposing of a writ petition filed by complainant Sheenam Raheja, who has been pursuing the case for over a decade. The petition sought urgent steps to secure Wadhwa’s extradition from the United States and to ensure expeditious disposal of the criminal case registered against him.
The case arises from an FIR lodged in 2009 under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code with the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police.
Appearing for the petitioner, Advocate Vivek Gupta argued that despite the investigation having concluded years ago, no effective steps were taken for a prolonged period to secure the presence of the accused, who continues to reside in the US. He submitted that the delay has caused grave prejudice to the complainant, who has alleged matrimonial cruelty and financial fraud involving the withdrawal of more than ₹1.26 crore from her bank account.
Earlier, Advocate Ravi Drall, representing the complainant before the trial court at Tis Hazari, stated that the accused is the complainant’s husband and is facing multiple proceedings, including cases related to cheating, contempt and matrimonial disputes arising from the same set of facts. He also pointed out that despite repeated representations, the EOW failed to take effective action to bring the accused back to India.
On behalf of the Union of India, Central Government Standing Counsel Jagdish Chandra informed the court that the extradition request has been pursued with US authorities, including the Department of Justice, and was last taken up in May 2025.
Taking note of the facts, the High Court observed that the accused has already been declared a proclaimed offender and is fully aware of the proceedings, having even participated in contempt proceedings through video conferencing. The court also noted that the matter has remained pending since 2016.
Directing the trial court to expedite the proceedings and conclude the trial within one year, the High Court instructed the Centre to take prompt and practical steps to accelerate the extradition process.
The court further acknowledged the complainant’s persistent efforts, including filing applications under the Right to Information Act to track the status of the extradition request, which revealed that progress was made only after her repeated follow-ups.
