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The Central Bureau of Investigation sought more time for "true and correct translation" from Spanish to English the order of an Argentinian court rejecting its plea for extradition of Bofors accused Ottavio Quattrocchi, three months after the Supreme Court gave it a time frame to complete the work.
"We need some more time for the purpose of true and correct translation of the order from Spanish to English," Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium submitted before a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan.
The apex court on August 20 had asked the Centre to translate within four weeks from Spanish the June 8 order of the El Dorado court in Argentina declining India's plea seeking extradition of 69-year-old Quattrocchi.
The Italian businessman, who was detained on February 6 on the basis of a red corner notice, was released on bail on February 23.
During the brief hearing, the ASG submitted that the authorities had asked the Indian Embassy in Argentina to approach the court there for the translation of the order. However, it was not materialised as the court did not have the translator for the purpose, he said.
Another difficulty which Subramanium told the court was that of absence of treaty on extradition with Argentina. The court granted time to the CBI and posted the matter for further hearing on January 14.
The court was hearing an application filed by advocate Ajay Agrawal, who earlier had moved the apex court against the de-freezing of Quattrocchi's bank account in London, seeking a direction to the government and CBI for placing before it all documents relating to his extradition from Argentina.