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Secretary (Consular, Passport and Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Sripriya Ranganathan, on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting on extradition and mutual legal assistance.
The meeting was attended by stakeholders, including representatives of key Indian Missions abroad, along with senior officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Enforcement Directorate (ED), National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Sharing details of the meeting in a post on X, the MEA said discussions focused on strengthening government efforts to secure the return of fugitives and enhancing law enforcement cooperation with key partner countries. "A high-level meeting on Extradition & Mutual Legal Assistance was chaired by Secretary (CPV & OIA) @ranganathan_sr with stakeholders including key Indian Missions abroad," the Ministry said. The MEA further stated that various strategies to strengthen India's efforts in bringing back fugitives and improving international cooperation in law enforcement were discussed during the meeting. Highlighting the importance of coordinated efforts among government departments, Ranganathan emphasised the need for a 'whole of Government of India' approach to address the issue and underlined the critical role played by Indian diplomatic missions abroad. "Secretary @ranganathan_sr highlighted the importance of 'whole of GOI' approach to the issue and critical role of Indian Missions abroad," the Ministry said. The MEA also highlighted recent successful extraditions of fugitives accused of involvement in terrorism, narcotics trafficking, organised criminal gangs and economic offences. The meeting assumes significance as India continues to pursue international cooperation to bring back individuals wanted by its law enforcement agencies and strengthen mechanisms for tackling transnational crimes. Earlier, on October 16, Secretary (CPV and OIA) Sripriya Ranganathan met International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Director General Amy Pope in New Delhi to discuss global migration and mobility trends and ways to expand India's opportunities in the sector. The MEA said the discussions focused on emerging migration trends and avenues for enhancing India's engagement in global mobility. Pope had also met Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje, with discussions centred on skills recognition, ethical recruitment and regular labour pathways to protect workers and expand opportunities. During her visit, the IOM chief also interacted with workers in Chennai receiving assistance through the organisation's Mobile Worker Resource Centres. Earlier in May, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh met Pope on the sidelines of the International Migration Review Forum 2026 in New York to discuss expanding and diversifying regular migration pathways and India's engagement with IOM initiatives. (ANI)
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