Mallya case effect? India building better jails for fugitive millionaires

The largest and oldest prison in India’s financial hub Mumbai will get a new block of cells that will meet international norms on prisoner rights. The reason: fugitive businessmen are citing poor jail conditions to stave off extradition.

The Mumbai Central Prison, popularly known as the Arthur Road Jail, is demolishing an old structure to make way for the block, the Times of India newspaper reported, citing an official it did not identify. The government is in the process of improving standards of prisons across Maharashtra state in line with standards in the US and Europe, Rajvardhan, inspector general, prisons, said in a phone interview.

“We don’t want anyone saying they don’t want to come back to the country,” he said. The government doesn’t extend any “special treatment” to anyone, he said, declining to comment on facilities that will be provided.