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 progressed after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sought additional documents related to New Delhi’s extradition request.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the extradition request has already been formally submitted to the UAE and that India is working to provide the additional documentation required by the Emirati authorities to move the process forward.

UAE Seeks Additional Documentation

Addressing a media briefing on Tuesday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that the extradition request had been sent to the UAE and that further procedural steps were under way.

“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.

When asked about the number of extradition requests currently pending with the UAE, Jaiswal said the ministry would need to compile the relevant information before responding.

Extradition Process Began Last Year

In December 2025, the MEA had said the extradition process against Shattaf, also known as Hussain Mehboob Khokhawala, had been initiated and the request forwarded to the Indian Embassy in the UAE.

Investigators believe Shattaf fled India shortly after Captain Virdi’s murder and has been living in the UAE ever since.

Apart from the murder charge, he also faces allegations of forgery, criminal breach of trust and obtaining an Indian passport by furnishing false information.

Authorities have also accused him of forging a marriage certificate to secure residency in the UAE.

His Indian passport, issued in 2019, expired in 2021.

Family Awaits Progress in Murder Trial

Nearly two decades after the killing, the case has regained attention as the Virdi family continues its efforts to secure the accused’s return to India.

The family says the murder trial has remained stalled because the prime accused has not yet been extradited.

Responding to the MEA’s latest statement, Captain Manjit Singh Virdi (Retd), the victim’s brother and the original complainant in the case, expressed hope that the process would now gather momentum.

“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.

Fresh Appeal Made to Prime Minister

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, Captain Manjit Singh Virdi said the prolonged delay in securing Shattaf’s return had prevented the trial from moving forward and denied the family justice for nearly 20 years.

The MEA’s latest update indicates that diplomatic and legal engagement between India and the UAE is continuing, with New Delhi working to complete the documentation required for the extradition proceedings.

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