• Hargobind Tahilramani loses extradition bid from the UK to face trial in the US.
• He is charged with defrauding around 300 people, totaling about $1 million.
• Tahilramani's defense cited mental health concerns and risks related to his sexual orientation.

Hargobind Tahilramani, an Indonesian national known as the "Hollywood Con Queen," has lost his bid to prevent extradition from the UK to the US, where he faces multiple charges including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Tahilramani is accused of defrauding approximately 300 individuals—including actors and filmmakers—over a seven-year span, convincing them to incur expenses for fictitious film projects in Indonesia, according to Reuters and South China Morning Post.

The extradition was initially approved by a UK judge and confirmed by British ministers in 2023. However, Tahilramani challenged this decision, asserting that his mental health would be compromised in US prison conditions, and he claimed he was at heightened risk of assault as a gay man. His lawyer argued that these concerns warranted the dismissal of the extradition request, according to The Independent.

Judge Derek Sweeting ruled against Tahilramani's appeal, stating that his concerns about potential treatment in US prisons were not sufficient to prevent extradition. The judge noted that any differential treatment would serve legitimate purposes within the US penal system and would not be considered inhuman or degrading, pointing out that protective custody measures were intended to mitigate risks of violence, according to Reuters and The Independent.