Mr Raghav is working under the Ministry of External Affairs as the officer on special duty (OSD) for the South Asia region. A case has been referred to him regarding a business tycoon (Mr Raman) of a neighbouring country who is presently residing in India.
Mr Raman is a big businessman from Sri Lanka and has businesses in many countries including India. He has invested a lot in India creating infrastructure and jobs for the youth. Also, he has donated a lot to charity whenever problems had been there in India.
However, Sri Lankan government has requested India seek the deportation of Mr Raman against whom a non-bailable warrant has been issued in a money-laundering investigation. Mr Raman has been declared as a proclaimed offender by many public sector banks for non-payment of loans. He is also accused of cheating thousands of people and tax evasion by the enforcement directorate. His passport has been revoked by the Sri Lankan government, but his Indian visa is still valid.
The Indian government has asked Mr Raghav to resolve the situation. Analyze the situation and explain what action shall be taken by Mr Raghav to resolve the situation. The following are some suggested options. Please evaluate the merits and demerits of each of the options:
- Mr Raghav shall advise the government to not take any action against Mr Raman.
- He should ask Sri Lankan government to initiate the extradition process which will take a lot of time.
- He should ask the Sri Lankan government to provide evidence to prove Mr Raman is guilty
- He should ask the government to help Sri Lanka to deport Mr Raman
Also please indicate (without necessarily restricting to the above options) what you would like to do, giving proper reasons.
The case involves the following ethical issues:
- National interest Vs interest with respect to its neighbour
- Nationalism vs. internationalism
- Justice to people in Sri Lanka who got cheated
- Rights of a nation to punish offenders
- International Cooperation and Trust as a common good
Analysis of given options:
- No action against Mr Raman.
Merits:
- Mr Raman would continue to stay in India. India would benefit from his investments and charity work.
Demerits:
- It would not help us in securing our long-term interests with the neighbouring country.
- Will set a wrong precedent
- Initiate extradition process
Merits:
- It will help in the proper extradition of Mr Raman, as per law.
- Our cooperation would help us in maintaining good relationships with our neighbors.
Demerits:
- It is a very time-consuming process.
- This will buy time for Mr Raman to prepare his defence
- Evidence to Prove Mr Raman Is Guilty
Merits:
- It would not put the blame immediately on Mr Raman. So, he can continue to stay in India.
- It would help us in taking concrete steps, based on evidence.
Demerits:
- Interfering in the internal matter. It is the prerogative of Sri Lanka to declare him a proclaimed offender.
- It may sour our relations with Sri Lanka.
- Deport Mr Raman
Merits:
- It will be a quick solution to the problem.
- Help from our government will help in maintaining good relations with Sri Lanka.
Demerits:
- We would lose investments if Mr Raman is deported quickly.
- Supporters of Mr Raman may protest against deportation
Considering the above options, I would ask the government to deport Mr. Raman. Though he still holds a visa, but his passport has been revoked. This can be the basis of his deportation. It would save a lot of time, in the whole process. Also, our relations with Sri Lanka will remain good, because of our timely help. We would also be no longer using the unethically acquired money of Mr. Raman.
