3 weeks ago
10
For decades, India has been trying to extradite Holck for prosecution over the case. In 1995, the Niels Holck was accused of having dropped around four tons of weapons to a rebel movement in West Bengal read more
 "Denmark court to give verdict on Niels Holck’s extradition to India today")
Niels Holck smiles outside the Eastern High Court in Copenhagen, Denmark on June 30, 2011. File Image: AP
A court in Denmark is likely to give a verdict on whether 62-year-old Niels Holck should be extradited to India in the infamous 1995 Purulia arms case. According to the Danish news outlet Politiken, a judge in the Court in Hillerød is likely to deliver the verdict on August 29 at 1 pm (local time). The date was set after the court heard the last words at a trial which took place on June 18.
For decades, India has been trying to extradite Holck for prosecution over the case. In 1995, the Danish author was accused of having dropped around four tons of weapons to a rebel movement in West Bengal. Unlike others involved in the case, Holck managed to leave the country and has been living in Denmark since 1996.
In 2011, the Eastern High Court rejected his extradition plea and stated that there was a risk of torture if Holck was sent back to India. However, in 2016, India issued a fresh extradition request, and in June 2023 the Attorney General suggested that Niels Holck may be extradited now. Since then, the matter has been in court.
‘I don’t want to go down and be killed’: Holck to court
While delivering his final arguments at Court in Hillerød in June, the Danish author insisted that he would rather take a prison sentence than go back to India. He insisted that there are chances that he will be “killed” if he is extradited to the country, Politiken reported.
“I’d like to take my punishment, but I don’t want to go down and be killed,” Holck told the court on June 18. “This whole thing that we are now sitting in again, it’s not nice. I would have rather had a few years in prison,” he furthered.
Holck recalled delivering weapons to Ananda Marga, which got several tons of ammunition, dropped with parachutes from the plane that Niels Holck was on board. He insisted that the group needed the weapons to defend itself against the “communist soldiers” in West Bengal. “I never met anyone who believed in creating change through violence,” he claimed.
India eventually arrested everyone on board the plane, except Holck. While the court is likely to give a verdict on the matter today, it is important to note that both parties have the opportunity to appeal the decision to the High Court.
With inputs from agencies.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
English (US) ·