Two eligible sentenced Indian nationals, serving prison terms in Sri Lanka, were transferred today to Trivandrum, Kerala, under the provisions of the India-Sri Lanka bilateral Agreement on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. All formalities in respect of 20 persons (six from Kerala and 14 from Tamil Nadu), including the two transferred earlier today, have been completed and their transfer to India will be undertaken within a week.

In all, there are 31 sentenced Indian nationals undergoing prison terms in Sri Lanka, eligible for transfer to India under the terms of the Agreement. On completion of the necessary legal formalities, these persons are being transferred back to India. Formalities with regard to the remaining 11 eligible persons are already underway.

The India-Sri Lanka bilateral Agreement on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons was signed on 9 June 2010. This Agreement provides for the conditions under which such transfers can take place and the various obligations of the transferring State and the receiving State. Accordingly, the requests made by eligible persons are processed by the Government of Sri Lanka and forwarded to the Government of India for completion of the necessary legal procedures on the Indian side. The transferred persons would be completing the remainder of their terms in India.

The High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha expressed his appreciation for the assistance rendered by the concerned Departments of the Government of Sri Lanka and expressed the hope for continued cooperation in this regard.