India, Aug 05 : India has said that the extradition process of fugitive Hussain Mohammed Shattaf from the United Arab Emirates is progressing, with authorities in the Gulf nation requesting additional documents before moving ahead. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that New Delhi is preparing the required paperwork while reaffirming its commitment to bringing wanted fugitives back to face justice.
Speaking at the weekly media briefing on Tuesday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had already submitted its extradition request to the UAE. However, the Emirati authorities have sought further documentation to process the case.
“The extradition request has already been sent to the UAE. They have asked for some more documentation, and we are working on providing it,” Jaiswal said. He added that information regarding the total number of pending extradition requests between the two countries would be shared later.
Shattaf, also known as Hussain Mehboob Khokhawala, is wanted in connection with the 2006 murder of retired Merchant Navy Captain Manmohan Singh Virdi in Lonavala, Maharashtra. Besides the murder charge, he faces multiple criminal cases involving forgery, criminal breach of trust and allegedly obtaining an Indian passport using false information.
Indian authorities believe Shattaf fled the country after the crime and has been residing in the UAE using forged documents. According to earlier official statements, he is also accused of producing a fake marriage certificate to secure residency in the Gulf nation. His Indian passport, issued in 2019, expired in 2021.
The Ministry of External Affairs had initiated the extradition process in December 2025, forwarding the formal request through the Indian Embassy in the UAE. Since then, officials have maintained that India remains determined to secure the return of wanted offenders living abroad through established legal and diplomatic channels.
During the same briefing, Jaiswal also responded to questions regarding the future of the Ganga Water Treaty between India and Bangladesh. His remarks came after a Parliamentary Standing Committee recommended that the Centre begin discussions with Dhaka without delay, as the existing agreement is due to expire in 2026.
The MEA spokesperson said water-sharing issues are addressed through well-established bilateral mechanisms, including the Joint Rivers Commission, which oversees cooperation on the 54 rivers shared by the two countries. He noted that any negotiations concerning the Ganga Water Treaty would also take place through these institutional channels.
Signed in 1996, the Ganga Water Treaty governs the sharing of water at the Farakka Barrage and was designed to remain in force for 30 years. With the agreement nearing its expiry, the parliamentary panel has urged the government to begin consultations early to ensure continuity and prevent any policy gap after 2026.
The committee’s report, titled Action Taken by the Government on the Observations and Recommendations contained in the Ninth Report of the Committee on the subject “Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship”, was tabled in Parliament on July 30. It recommended timely engagement with Bangladesh to safeguard long-term cooperation on transboundary water management.
India’s latest remarks indicate that while diplomatic engagement continues on multiple fronts, both the extradition proceedings involving Hussain Shattaf and discussions over the future of the Ganga water-sharing arrangement will move forward through established legal and bilateral frameworks.