Supreme Court Seeks International Cooperation in Viktoriia Basu Investigation.


26 September 2025 Investigation >> Criminal Law   |   Writ Petition >> Criminal Law  

On September 26, 2025, the Supreme Court of India, headed by Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, heard a writ petition (Criminal) No. 129/2023 filed by Viktoriia Basu against the State of West Bengal and others. The Court gave directions for accelerating an ongoing investigation in which Basu was involved with a minor child, underlining diplomatic negotiations with Nepalese and Russian authorities.

The petitioner, who was represented by Advocate-on-Record Anjani Kumar Mishra as well as Advocates R.P. Luthra, Himanshu Luthra, Hardeep Kaur Mishra, and others, was questioned in a case relating to purported criminal behavior and potential contempt of court. Respondents, such as the State of West Bengal as well as the Union of India, were represented by several advocates, including Kunal Mimani, Subhasish Bhowmick, and Raj Bahadur Yadav (Advocates-on-Record).


 

 
 
 

At the hearing, the Court perused status reports received from the Delhi Police and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The Delhi Police informed that a notice under Section 94 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, was issued to a UAE firm, establishing that flight tickets for Basu and the minor child were purchased through an email traced to Basu's mother, Olga Zhigalina, and a SberBank of Russia card. The police are probing the ownership of the card and accompanying accounts. Moreover, a Blue Corner Notice for Basu and a Yellow Corner Notice for the child have been published, with Basu leaving Nepal for the UAE on 12 July 2025 confirmed by the National Central Bureau in Kathmandu. The Court instructed the Delhi Police to follow up custody of suspects on a diplomatic channel with Nepalese authorities and the Russian Embassy in India, following up strongly and with a fresh status report.

The MEA's status report, dated September 25, 2025, but not yet on paperbook before the court, was heard in xerox form. It exposed that India's Moscow Embassy had sought legal help from Russia's Prosecutor General on September 18 and 22, 2025, under FIR No. 148/2025, which had been registered by Delhi Police on August 2, 2025. No word has yet come from Russian officials. The Court asked the Indian Embassy to use diplomatic efforts to obtain cooperation from Russia on the basis of trust in the Prosecutor General's help anchored in principles of mutuality and comity. The MEA was asked to file a fresh status report by October 31, 2025.

The Court scheduled the next hearing for October 31, 2025, to monitor progress in the investigation. This ruling underscores the judiciary’s commitment to international cooperation in addressing cross-border legal issues, particularly in cases involving potential criminal activity and child welfare.


BHARATIYA NAGARIK SURAKSHA SANHITA, 2023