Fiji has not received extradition request from India: Ditoka

The Fiji Government has not received any formal extradition request from India relating to allegations involving prominent businessman Jay Dayal, Minister for Foreign Affairs Sakiasi Ditoka says.

Mr Ditoka said any request, if received, would be considered through the appropriate legal and diplomatic processes in accordance with Fiji's laws and any applicable international arrangements.

"At this stage, I am not in a position to confirm that the Government of Fiji has received any formal extradition request from the Government of India regarding this matter," he said.

Mr Ditoka declined to comment further, saying the matter could be subject to ongoing criminal investigations and possible legal proceedings. However, he said Fiji and India continued to maintain strong bilateral relations.

"While there is no standalone bilateral extradition treaty between the two countries, Fiji's extradition framework provides mechanisms for considering requests from Commonwealth countries and other states where the legal requirements are met."

Mr Dayal, the founder and managing director of Dayals Steels in Ba, has been accused by police in India's Gujarat state of allegedly ordering the killing of a former employee.

The incident occurred on Waghodia Road in Vadodara district, where police claim to have established links between the victim, the alleged shooters and Mr Dayal.

Mr Dayal told this masthead he would issue a media statement after receiving advice from his legal team.

Vadodara City Police said on Monday they would work with the relevant authorities to seek Mr Dayal's extradition.

The High Commission of India in Fiji also declined to comment, citing its policy on law-and-order matters.