Tiger Hanif, who is on trial and faces extradition to India over his role in the Surat bomb blasts of 1993, has been granted bail by the court. Forty-nine-year-old Mohammed Hanif Umerji Patel, who is also known as Tiger Hanif, wanted in India for 17 years over his role in the Surat bomb blasts, in which one person was killed and 12 were injured. Hanif was arrested by the extradition unit of the Metropolitan Police Service on February 16 from his residence in Bolton, Greater Manchester. “Hanif was arrested on behalf of the Indian authorities under an extradition warrant alleging conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions,” the Scotland Yard had said after his arrest.
He has been lodged in London’s Wandsworth prison after his arrest. Hanif was issued a conditional bail: His bail conditions state he must not leave Lancashire other than for court appearances in London and he has to present himself to his local police station every day.
However, there was no reaction available from the metropolitan police on the news of bail. Hanif’s extradition case formally started on May 11. In April, City of Westminster magistrates’ court was informed that India had sent all the papers outlining the evidence for the extradition case.
“All the relevant documentation, a voluminous set of papers, was received on March 26 from the government of India for the extradition case,” the court was told. Hanif’s defence lawyer Julian Knowles had told the judge initially that he would be raising the issue of his possible torture in India. He had said the extradition case was complicated due to the complex political background in India.