CBI facilitated return of 134 fugitives from abroad in past 5 years
The uptick in the success rate can easily be attributed to enhanced diplomatic engagements by the government, India's outreach through VVIP visits, bilateral ties, technological advancements, and improved coordination with Interpol
New Delhi: The CBI has succeeded in facilitating the return of 134 fugitives from abroad in the last five years -- nearly twice the number of repatriated persons over an entire decade between 2010 and 2019, officials said.
Coordinating closely with Interpol as well as state and central enforcement agencies, the CBI was able to secure the extradition or deportation of these 134 fugitives since 2020. Of these, 23 were brought back this year alone.
In contrast, only 74 fugitives were brought back during the decade between 2010 and 2019.
The uptick in the success rate can easily be attributed to enhanced diplomatic engagements by the government, India's outreach through VVIP visits, bilateral ties, technological advancements, and improved coordination with Interpol, the officials said.
The process of extradition has three stages: issuance of a Red Notice by Interpol, geolocation of the fugitive, and third, extradition after legal and diplomatic manoeuvres, all of which are time-consuming processes.
To reduce the time required to issue a Red Notice by Interpol, which alerts all 195 countries about a fugitive wanted in a country, the CBI launched its digital portal Bharatpol in January.
The platform, developed in-house by the agency, connects Indian police agencies with Interpol through the CBI, significantly accelerating the investigative and repatriation processes, thereby reducing the average time to publication of a Red Notice from six months to three months.
"The portal has ensured improved documentation, which took time because at times officials dealing with Interpol issues were not well versed with the format in which the application for repatriation of fugitives is to be submitted to Interpol through the CBI. The to-and-fro communication between CBI and other agencies has now been significantly curtailed, resulting in a substantial reduction in time wasted," an officer said.
Additionally, a crucial factor in ensuring extradition and deportation is a government-to-government understanding, which has seen a significant increase in recent years due to enhanced diplomatic activity by India.
The role of the External Affairs Ministry, especially that of the ambassadors and high commissioners, is a crucial factor in the repatriation of fugitives.
The CBI, which serves as India's National Central Bureau and the country's designated liaison agency with Interpol, has also enhanced its international coordination through the establishment of the Global Operations Centre.
This centre plays a crucial role by engaging foreign law enforcement agencies to expedite India’s extradition efforts and vice versa, officials said.
A recent notable success of this coordinated effort was the arrest of Nehal Modi in the US. Nehal is the brother of Nirav Modi, who is currently incarcerated in the UK, awaiting extradition to India. Nirav Modi, along with his uncle Mehul Choksi, allegedly orchestrated Rs 13,000 crore fraud in the Punjab National Bank through fraudulent Letters of Undertaking.
Nehal Modi, previously imprisoned at Franklin Correctional Institute in New York following a separate conviction there, was slated for release on July 4. Acting pre-emptively, the CBI contacted the US authorities nearly a month in advance, resulting in Nehal's arrest upon his release. He is now facing extradition proceedings, which begin Thursday.
Meanwhile, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi remain in custody in London and Antwerp, respectively, with multiple bail applications denied by the courts there. The CBI continues to pursue their extradition through the appropriate legal channels.
