India proposes revised extradition treaty: Retired Home Secretary Chandi Prasad Shrestha

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 18 Nov: Retired Home Secretary Chandi Prasad Shrestha disclosed Wednesday India has presented a revised copy of a proposed extradition treaty that he previously initialed with India during the Girija Prasad Koirala regime.
Maoists stopped the agreement even as then Home Minister Krishna Prasad Shitaula was about to emplane for New Delhi to formalize the treaty replacing a 1953 document.
Pakistan has also proposed Kathmandu and Islamabad should sign a similar treaty.
“I’ve learnt the document I signed with not be signed. India has presented a new draft on which Nepal will lose a lot. I’ve learnt the present government and administration hasn’t stuck to our previous positions.
“India’s intention is to sideline the administration through the extradition agreement. The signing has been delayed. The administration and elected leadership wants to establish they don’t want to be under a shadow.
“The main point is whether the treaty is on our interest.
“Will the Indian police enter our country to arrest nationals of their country on the basis of the treaty? The main concern is whether such a treaty is on our country’s interest.
“According to an extradition law our nationals can’t be extradited whatever the charge. The right to extradite out nationals remains with us. This is mention in our law. This is also mentioned in the 1953 extradition treaty,’ Shrestha said in an interview in Janaastha.
He also opposed right to Indians to plead for extraction cases in Nepali courts.
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