UAE seeks more details on extradition of Merchant Navy captain's murder accused
India’s efforts to extradite Hussain Shattaf, the prime accused in the 2006 murder of retired Merchant Navy officer Captain Manmohan Singh Virdi in Maharashtra’s Lonavala
India’s efforts to extradite Hussain Shattaf, the prime accused in the 2006 murder of retired Merchant Navy officer Captain Manmohan Singh Virdi in Maharashtra’s Lonavala, have moved a step forward, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) seeking additional documents related to New Delhi’s request, the government said on Tuesday. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said India's extradition request had already been formally submitted to the UAE and that New Delhi was working expeditiously to provide the additional documents sought by the authorities. Read Full Story "That specific extradition request was sent to the UAE side. They've asked for some more documentation in that regard, and we are working on this particular matter," Jaiswal said during a media briefing.
Asked about the number of extradition requests currently pending with the UAE, Jaiswal said the ministry would have to gather the relevant details before responding. In December 2025, MEA officials said the process for the extradition of Shattaf, also known as Hussain Mehboob Khokhawala, had been initiated and the request forwarded to the Indian Embassy in the UAE. Shattaf is believed to have fled India soon after the Mechant Navy captain's murder and has since been residing in the UAE. Besides the murder charge, he faces allegations of forgery, criminal breach of trust and obtaining an Indian passport by furnishing false information. He is also accused of forging a marriage certificate to secure residency in the UAE.
His Indian passport, issued in 2019, expired in 2021. Nearly two decades after the killing, the case has again drawn attention as the Virdi family intensifies its efforts to have Shattaf brought back to India to face trial. The family maintains that the murder trial has remained stalled because the prime accused has not been extradited. Reacting to the MEA's latest statement, the victim's brother and the original complainant in the case, Captain Manjit Singh Virdi (Retd) expressed hope that the extradition process would now make progress. "We have complete faith in our government and our country. I believe the government is making every possible effort to bring my brother's killer back from the UAE to face justice in India," he said.
Earlier this week, the Virdi family submitted a fresh representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention to expedite the extradition process. In the letter addressed to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Captain Virdi said the prolonged delay in Shattaf's extradition had stalled the murder trial and deprived the family of justice for nearly two decades. The MEA's latest statement indicates that diplomatic and legal engagement between India and the UAE over Shattaf's extradition is continuing. The UAE's request for additional documentation marks another procedural step in the process as New Delhi works to complete the formalities required to bring the fugitive back to India. Ends
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