Danish companies and official representatives have become personae non gratae with the Indian authorities. Both the lower and appeal court have refused to extradite Niels Holck to India to face charges of weapons smuggling arguing, among other reasons, that he could be subjected to torture.

It is obvious that decisions by the courts must be respected. No level of political pressure, either from abroad or from a business sector concerned about order books on the lucrative Indian market, can be allowed to undermine the rule of law.

But it is worth noting that India’s requirements are not demands to set aside the courts and the rule of law.

India is highly perplexed by the behaviour of the Danish authorities in the case. The legally binding Indian guarantees of a fair trial and safe incarceration seem not to have been put forward with sufficient gravity, and the prosecutor-general has declined to appeal to the Supreme Court saying that the issue is not serious enough to be one of principle.

From an Indian point of view, the fact that guarantees for the safety of the accused man have simply been ignored, and that a man who is suspected of having committed a very serious crime is walking about free, is certainly one of principle. No wonder Indians are sceptical about cooperating with a country that seemingly views the world’s largest democracy as a banana republic.

It is obvious that no Danish citizen would want to be imprisoned in India. That is why, among other reasons, the most sensible thing is to refrain from smuggling weapons to rebel groups in the country. If you do, then India has a legitimate requirement to prosecute, without that person hiding behind a rhubarb-coloured passport. You are responsible for your own actions.

The current situation is not only untenable for Danish-Indian relations. It is also untenable for Denmark. There is something wrong in people who are suspected of terrorist activities abroad being allowed to walk about free in Denmark without having their cases tried. Accusations of such a serious crime cannot be allowed to seep into a legal loophole. The government must ensure that all options are exhausted in the case at hand.

Denmark must never succumb to political pressure in connection with its legal system. But on the other hand nor must we blindly reject just criticism. That is what has happened to India on this issue and the least we owe them is a decent explanation.

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