Rajan, 55, was to be taken to India by a special aircraft last night but it was deferred till Wednesday.

Local authorities had closed the Ngurah Rai International Airport late Tuesday due to a large ash cloud drifting from Mount Rinjani — an active volcano on the nearby island.

It is expected that Rajan, who was arrested in Bali on his arrival from Australia on October 25, would be deported on Thursday if conditions allow, sources said.

Formalities completed

Sources said the Indian agencies are keen that the deportation takes place at the earliest and had put in a request to Indonesian authorities on Sunday itself.

An Indian police team, which arrived in Indonesia on Sunday, completed all formalities for taking custody of Rajan and flying him to India. Formalities for deportation have been almost completed, they said.

The Indian authorities have already provided documents to their Indonesian counterparts about his Indian identity to facilitate his deportation.

Confusion over custody