Indian Murder Convict Extradited From UK To Serve Life Sentence In Surat

In a rare and unprecedented case, an Indian national convicted of murder in the United Kingdom has been extradited to India to serve the remainder of his life sentence.

Jigu Sorthi, a resident of Umargam, Gujarat, was sentenced to 28 years in prison by a Leicester court for the murder of his fiancee, Bhavini Pravin. He will now serve his sentence at Surat's Lajpore Jail, marking the first such extradition under the treaty between India and Britain.

In 2020, while living with his fiancee in Leicester, the couple's frequent quarrels led Bhavini to call off their wedding. In a fit of rage, Sorthi stabbed her multiple times, killing her. After committing the crime, the accused surrendered to the police and confessed.

During the trial, the Leicester court sentenced him to 28 years of life imprisonment, stating that the act destroyed Bhavini's future and calling the murder unforgivable.

Having served four years in a British prison, Sorthi's family appealed to the Indian government for his extradition so he could serve the remainder of his sentence in India. Following extensive coordination between the two countries, the request was approved.

On December 16, Sorthi was escorted from Britain to Delhi by British officials. In Delhi, officials from the Indian government and the British embassy completed necessary paperwork to transfer him to Indian custody. A special team from Surat police received him and safely transported him to Lajpore Jail.

Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlot confirmed Sorthi's transfer, stating that it was carried out under the extradition treaty between the two countries. He added that Sorthi would serve the rest of his life sentence in Surat as per the Indian government's orders.

Sorthi and Bhavini had been living together since 2017, planning to marry before their relationship soured.

Though there is an extradition treaty between India and Britain, the Indian government has not yet succeeded in repatriating Vijay Mallya and Lalit Modi, or other high-profile individuals accused in cases like 1993 Mumbai blast and Gulshan Kumar murder case.

(With inputs from Mahendra Prasad.)