Over 70 Fugitives wanted by India located abroad in 2024‑25, Highest in over a decade

India located over 70 fugitives abroad during the financial year 2024‑25, marking the highest number in over a decade, according to the annual report of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. During the same period, 27 fugitives returned to India from overseas, while 203 individuals wanted by other countries were detected within India, the report said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), acting as India’s Interpol National Central Bureau, coordinated international efforts to track and bring back wanted individuals. Authorities issued 74 Letters Rogatory, formal judicial requests to foreign countries for cooperation in investigations, including 54 related to CBI cases and 20 for state and other central agencies. Of these, 47 were fully executed, while 29 were closed or partially executed. As of March 31, 2025, 533 LRs were pending abroad . During the year, India issued a total of 247 Interpol notices, including 126 Red Notices to locate and provisionally arrest fugitives, 89 Blue Notices to gather information, 24 Yellow Notices for missing persons, seven Black Notices regarding unidentified bodies, and one Green Notice warning countries about potential public safety threats. The CBI’s Global Operations Centre helps geo-locate fugitives and coordinates with foreign agencies and Indian ministries for their return.

Among the most high-profile fugitives currently sought by India are Vijay Mallya, wanted for loan defaults and financial fraud in the UK; Nirav Modi, involved in the Punjab National Bank scam; Mehul Choksi, co-accused in the PNB fraud and recently arrested in Belgium; Goldy Brar, a gangster based in Canada; Arshdeep Singh Gill, terror-linked fugitive in Canada; Anmol Bishnoi, wanted in high-profile murder cases; Dawood Ibrahim, alleged crime syndicate leader reportedly in Pakistan; Chhota Shakeel, senior D-Company operative; Paramjit Singh Pamma, Khalistani militant; and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, terrorism-linked fugitive. India maintains extradition treaties with 48 countries and arrangements with 12 more, but only a fraction of requests result in surrender due to legal appeals, asylum claims, and procedural delays. The UK and Canada currently host several economic offenders and terror-linked fugitives.

To strengthen extradition and fugitive tracking, the government has enhanced cooperation with countries through Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties, increased Interpol notices, launched a technology platform called Bharatpol for faster processing, directed states to form special extradition cells, and issued passport revocations upon Red Notices. Diplomatic engagement and judicial oversight have also been used to expedite pending international cases.

The report also highlighted other CBI activities, including processing more than 22,200 applications for renunciation of Indian citizenship and updating Interpol’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database, which now contains 1,91,031 Indian passports reported stolen, lost, or revoked, with 30 cases of misuse reported abroad.

In simple terms, fugitives are people running away to avoid arrest or punishment. In this context, fugitives wanted by India are individuals who committed crimes in India and are hiding abroad, while fugitives wanted by other countries are those detected in India. The long-running extradition case of Vijay Mallya exemplifies the challenges India faces. Mallya has been living in the UK since 2016. Though the UK courts approved his extradition in 2020, enforcement has been delayed due to ongoing legal issues. Non-bailable warrants remain in place against him in India, and UK courts recently upheld a bankruptcy order for over £1 billion owed to Indian banks. Mallya’s return to India is still pending.