Court Cancels Warrant Against Kumar Pillai Amid Extradition Order Concerns

In a significant legal development, a sessions court has canceled the warrant issued against Kumar Pillai, who was implicated in a 2007 murder case. The court ruled that extraditing him for an offense not listed in his extradition order was unlawful, highlighting procedural lapses by the prosecution.

Pillai, who holds a Hong Kong passport, was extradited to India after his arrest in Singapore in 2016 for three cases, all of which resulted in acquittals. Despite being cleared, he was unable to return to Hong Kong due to visa issues, prompting his legal representatives to seek permission for his departure.

In the meantime, Mumbai’s crime branch had sought a warrant against him for the 2007 murder case. However, the sessions court, referencing Section 21 of the Extradition Act, affirmed that Indian courts lack jurisdiction to prosecute extradited individuals for crimes outside the extradition agreement.