Mumbai court orders repatriation of ‘Gangster ’ Kumar Pillai to Hong Kong

A Mumbai court has directed the city police to take steps to repatriate alleged gangster Kumar Pillai to his home country, Hong Kong , after noting that he has been acquitted in all cases for which he was extradited to India.

In an order passed on February 13, Special MCOCA Court Judge Satyanarayan R. Navander cited a ruling of the Supreme Court of India , noting that without permission from the extraditing country, an accused cannot be tried in India for offences beyond those specified in the extradition order. “Consequently, the prosecution is left with no option but to take steps to repatriate the applicant (Pillai) to his home country, namely Hong Kong,” the court said.

The court also referenced Section 21 of the Extradition Act, 1962 , which mandates that a person extradited to India can only be tried for offences specified in the extradition request , and cannot be prosecuted for other offences without prior approval from the extraditing country.

Pillai, originally an Indian citizen, later migrated to Hong Kong and acquired citizenship there. He was arrested in Singapore in 2016 following a 2012 Interpol Red Corner Notice and was booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) .

India had sought his extradition in connection with six pending cases, but Singapore permitted extradition only for three cases . All three cases have since been disposed of, with Pillai acquitted in each, and no appeals were filed by the prosecution.

Pillai’s lawyer, Pankaj Kavale, argued that the purpose of extradition had been fully exhausted, and since Pillai is no longer an Indian citizen, his continued stay in India cannot be considered lawful. The prosecution opposed the plea, stating other cases are still pending.

The court, however, observed that extradition applied only to the three cases for which he was brought to India , and without Hong Kong’s permission, Pillai cannot be tried for any other offences. The court directed the Mumbai Police Commissioner to take necessary steps for his repatriation to Hong Kong .