Amit Shah’s Global Dragnet: 42 Fugitives Back in India, Dozens More Trapped Abroad
Amit Shah announces 42 economic fugitives extradited, more in the pipeline.
Addressing NDTV’s Bihar Power Play conclave, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that 42 fugitives accused of massive financial frauds have been successfully extradited to India over the past two years. He emphasized that the process, though intricate, is now governed by a robust Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) developed after inter-agency workshops. Shah assured the audience that ongoing judicial proceedings in foreign courts will soon pave the way for the return of many more high-profile offenders.
The extradition mechanism relies heavily on ‘India Net’, a dedicated CBI initiative that issues Blue Corner notices through Interpol, facilitates arrests, and manages the complete legal pathway for repatriation. Shah described the process as “very complex,” involving compliance with the laws and court systems of multiple nations. High-profile cases, including those of diamantaire Nirav Modi and liquor baron Vijay Mallya—both facing extradition from the UK—involve scams worth thousands of crores and remain in active judicial review.
Shah highlighted that very few fugitives remain untouched by enforcement action, with either arrests, court proceedings, or extradition processes underway in nearly all cases. He credited the current government’s proactive stance, noting that the previous UPA regime had allowed offenders to flee without fear of pursuit. “After our government came to power, fugitives are being chased, caught, and transferred from foreign jails to Indian ones,” he stated.
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The Home Minister’s remarks signal an intensified crackdown on economic offenders, with the newly formalized SOP ensuring faster coordination among agencies. As extradition battles continue in foreign courts, Shah’s assurance of “many more” returns underscores a zero-tolerance policy toward financial fugitives.
