Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana on Thursday urged the UAE government and the country’s top judge to speed up the extradition of 175 Indians and provide consular access to the large number of Indians lodged in the West Asian nation’s jails.

The extradition proceedings have been pending for several years although India has an extradition treaty with the UAE.

Justice Ramana, who is visiting the UAE, held talks with his counterpart Mohd Hamad Al Badi, president of the country’s Federal Supreme Court, and law minister Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi about bilateral cooperation on judicial issues.

“There are 175 people whose extradition orders are pending and when the (Indian) ambassador brought it to our notice, we represented to the UAE law minister and others to look into (this) and try to expedite the extradition orders,” Justice Ramana said.

He was speaking at his felicitation by the Indian diaspora, organised by the Indian Cultural and Social Centre in Abu Dhabi.

Justice Ramana said that during his interactions with his apex court counterpart and the UAE law minister, he had also raised the issue of consular access to Indian prisoners in that country.

He said he had taken up matters relating to the non-implementation of awards in favour of Indian workers sacked by their employers in the UAE.

He said he had been assured that the UAE authorities would now review the implementation of such awards every six months.

Justice Ramana complimented the UAE for allowing non-Muslims to follow their personal laws.

He urged the Indian community in the UAE to provide legal support to expatriates who need it. He assured all assistance from India’s National Legal Services Authority and the various state legal services.

Another Supreme Court judge, Justice Hima Kohli, and N. Sivamala, wife of Justice Ramana, were also felicitated. The Indian ambassador to the UAE, Sanjay Sudhir, was present. He had earlier briefed Justice Ramana on the various legal hassles faced by the Indian mission. Justice Kohli lauded the “vibrant” Indian diaspora for their hard work, honest and sincerity.

The programme was beamed in India via YouTube.