Ministry of Home Affairs

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is the nodal Ministry for concluding Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties in Criminal Matters which are designated to facilitate the widest measures of mutual assistance in investigation, prosecution and prevention of crime, service of summons and other judicial documents, execution of warrants and other judicial commissions and tracing, restraint, forfeiture or confiscation of proceeds and instruments of crime.

India has so far concluded MLA treaties with 23 countries, namely:

• Switzerland, United Kingdom, Canada, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, United Arab Emirates, Russia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Turkey, France, Tajikistan, Bahrain, Thailand, USA, South Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Mauritius, Belarus, Spain and Kuwait.

In addition, Treaties with three countries, namely:

• Mexico, Bulgaria and Vietnam have been signed but not ratified.

India is presently negotiating MLA treaties with five countries, namely:

• Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region in the People's Republic of China), Nepal, Iran, Egypt and Australia.