New Delhi: Since 2019, the government has brought back 274 fugitive criminals from 36 countries, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement Tuesday. Among them were terrorist Tahawwur Hussain Rana and gangster Salim Dola, besides members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), “pro-Khalistan” groups and organised crime gangs.
To strengthen action against fugitives, the MHA said it enacted the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act in 2018 while developing an integrated, intelligence-based, and technology-driven model against fugitives, paving the way to facilitate their return to India.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the country’s extradition framework had become “outdated” by 2014, and that India had extradition treaties with only 37 countries by that time. “There was also no dedicated law to deal with economic fugitives or to confiscate their assets. Between 2004 and 2013, India secured the extradition of only four fugitives per year on average, while 110 extradition requests remained pending.”
Data provided by MHA shows that, of the 274 fugitives brought back since 2019, at least 62 were wanted for cases of murder, robbery, violent crimes; followed by 53 who were wanted for sexual offences and POCSO cases.
The government also said it brought back 9 fugitives wanted for fraud and financial crimes, 17 wanted for terrorist activity, anti-national activity, and narco-terror, followed by 42 fugitives wanted for organised crime and 18 wanted for human trafficking and kidnapping.
One such case that the MHA has highlighted is the extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana from the USA. Rana is one of the key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
Further, MHA said it brought back Mohammed Arshad, Mohammed Rafiq Nazar, Imtiaz Khandu and Farooq Naiku in connection with terror, narco-terror cases lodged in Jammu and Kashmir.
It added that return of fugitives linked to PFI disrupted the ecosystem of funding, radicalisation and safe havens built abroad. “Abdul Rahman, Mohammad Sajjad Alam, Kodje Mohammad Sharif and Mohammad Ghouse Nayazi increased pressure on extremist networks,” the MHA said.
In connection with cases linked to Sikh extremism, MHA said it brought back Rajbir Singh, Parminder Singh Pindi, Baljit Singh and Ramanjit Singh.
The MHA listed the return of Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother Anmol, Aman Bhainswal, Akshay Bishnoi, Ankit Bishnoi, Sachin Bishnoi and Vikram Barad as key milestones in its fight against organised crime. On its fight against drug trafficking, it cited the return of Salim Dola, Sheikh Nisar Ahmed, Taher Saleem Dola, Naveen Cheechkar and Lijo Jose.
“Cases linked to Nepal showed the importance of open borders, cross-border crime, and operational trust with neighbouring countries,” the MHA said. According to it, 19 arrests and 15 deportations linked to a cyber-criminal network operating from Nepal marked a major success of intelligence-led coordination.
In terms of economic offences and fraud cases, the return of Akshit Khandelwal, Harshit Jain, Monica Kapoor, Angad Singh and Subhash Parab were cited as successes by the MHA. India also managed swift extraditions in serious crimes, such as the Luthra Brothers and Shahul Hameed cases, it said.
Shah said that the sharing of information on fugitives, location tracking, and the issuance of Red Corner Notices had been moving at a slow pace. To strengthen coordination, connectivity, and information-sharing between India and global law enforcement agencies, the MHA launched Bharatpol in January 2025, which integrates CBI, State Police HQ (through Interpol Liaison Officers, or ILOs), and District Police HQ onto a single platform.
More than 1,400 units of state and central agencies have been connected through the portal, ensuring seamless flow of information, he said.
The MHA added that it has, through stringent enforcement of PMLA, attached assets worth Rs 17,874 crore belonging to fugitive criminals between 2019 and 2026. Total restitution, it said, stands at Rs 18,762 crore. Further, the MHA added that Rs 18,762 crore has been returned in cases involving Fugitive Economic Offenders—offenders who fled India.
Further, Shah in his statement also said that the number of Interpol Red Corner Notices issued increased from 40 in 2022 to 100 in 2023, 107 in 2024, 112 in 2025 and “182 have already been issued in 2026 so far”. The statement went on to add that Operation Trishul was launched in 2019 to geo-locate absconding criminals.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
Also Read: What’s stalling India’s efforts to bring back fugitive white-collar criminals? The state of prisons