Paradip, July 2: The extradition of the Singaporean owner of rogue ship MV Black Rose that had sunken off Paradip coast on September 9, 2009, has been further delayed with the authorities of the island country seeking legal clarification on the litigation.

In October last, the judicial magistrate first class court at Kujang near Paradip issued notice for extradition of the ship owner five years after the cargo ship, MV Black Rose, had sunken near Paradip coast.

The Singaporean authorities have details of the charges framed against the ship owner, Kok Sitki.

The crime branch had earlier chargesheeted Sitki under Indian Penal Code sections 419 (cheats by impersonation), 420 (cheating), 467 (forging a document which purports to be a valuable security material), 466 (forgery of record of court or of public register), 471 (fraudulent use of forged document as genuine one) and 120-b (criminal conspiracy).

A crime branch official said: "The Singaporean establishment had requested us for submission of elaborate detail and features of the Indian Penal Code sections. The offence committed by the ship owner is also punishable under the Singapore legal system. They have sought the detail to examine it with their law."

"It's a formal technical process. According to the extradition treaty in force between the two countries, these technical formalities are scrutinised before extraditing any offender," said an official, adding that details of the charge sheet had been sent as desired by them.

The CBI, which is the nodal agency for carrying out extradition of offenders based in foreign countries, has been called upon to take up the matter with Interpol, so that Sitki's trial can take place expeditiously in local court, said a crime branch officer.

Sitki was found guilty of operating the ship using forged insurance and fitness papers.

"It was found that the ship was running without a valid maritime licence, and the insurance and fitness papers were also forged. So, the crime branch had framed a charge sheet against him. But since he is a Singaporean national, he needs to be extradited. The crime branch had earlier sent letters of rogatory (formal request to foreign agency to seek assistance)," said the crime branch official.