New Delhi, Oct. 27 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the Madras High Court's September 8 order directing the Centre to take custody of alleged international art trafficker Subash Chandra Kapoor from Tiruchirappalli Central Prison and proceed in accordance with law for returning him to Germany.

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan stayed the operation of the Madras High Court judgment that had allowed a habeas corpus petition filed by Kapoor, holding that his continued detention in India in connection with other offences allegedly committed before his extradition from Germany could not be sustained without the consent of the German authorities.

Kapoor, an American (US) citizen, was extradited from Germany to India on Ju...