Thursday, August 30, 2007

Germany sends knife-swallower back to India to face justice

An Indian man, who swallowed a knife four years ago to avoid extradition from Germany, has appeared before a Calcutta court.

Amarendra Nath Ghosh was arrested in Germany four years ago over a series of bank scams, all of which he denies.

When his return to India was ordered in 2003 he swallowed a 10cm (four inch) blade and refused surgery to remove it.

German officials were unable to remove it by force or send him home with the knife threatening his life. He was returned this week in an air ambulance.

Spokesman for India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), G Mohanty said that 46-year-old Mr Ghosh still had the right to refuse the removal of the blade, but that he would nonetheless face prosecution.

"In Germany, he resisted the knife's removal to avoid deportation, but here we will go ahead with his prosecution," he said.

But he added that if Mr Ghosh is found guilty and sentenced to prison, he will be compelled to have the knife removed.

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