Danish Court Denies Extradition of Suspected 1995 Arms Smuggler to India

A Danish court has refused India's request to extradite Niels Holck over a 1995 West Bengal arms smuggling case, citing human rights concerns. Holck admitted involvement in the case, where weapons were covertly delivered by cargo plane. Courts have previously rejected extradition for similar reasons.

A Danish court on Thursday rejected India's extradition request for Niels Holck, a Danish national suspected of involvement in a 1995 arms smuggling case in West Bengal, according to a Reuters report.

India has sought Holck's extradition for years to face trial over allegations of smuggling around four tonnes of weapons to a riot movement. However, the court ruled extraditing Holck would violate Denmark's extradition law, citing risks of human rights abuses in India, as per the European Convention on Human Rights.

Holck had previously confessed to being part of a group that executed the illegal arms drop in Purulia district using a Russian cargo plane in December 1995. India intercepted the aircraft but Holck, under the alias 'Kim Davy', managed to flee.

While several accomplices were arrested, including five Latvian nationals and a British national, India has repeatedly tried to secure Holck's extradition starting in 2002. Although Denmark initially agreed, subsequent court decisions have consistently cited risks of torture or inhumane treatment, blocking the process.

In June 2023, Denmark re-evaluated a 2016 extradition request from India, but the court concluded that the requirements were not met, reaffirming its stance against extraditing Holck.

(With inputs from agencies.)