Syed Habib, New Delhi.
A two-day national conference on “Extradition of Fugitives – Challenges and Strategies” organized by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) concluded on Friday at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, with a renewed commitment to strengthen international cooperation in criminal matters and make India’s extradition process more efficient and effective.
The conference, held on October 16–17, was inaugurated by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, who called for a coordinated and proactive approach by all law enforcement agencies to bring wanted fugitives back to India to face justice. Shah underlined the need to create a special cell dedicated to vetting all extradition requests before they are sent to foreign authorities, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and legal robustness.
A Coordinated National Effort
Reiterating his earlier call from July 2025 for a unified national strategy to deal with fugitives abroad, the Home Minister stressed that all agencies must work in tandem, combining legal, diplomatic, and technological tools. Following his directions, the CBI was tasked with organizing the conference to deliberate on coordinated approaches for extradition and legal assistance across jurisdictions.
Over 200 senior officers from 45 central and state law enforcement and intelligence agencies participated, including representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), National Investigation Agency (NIA), National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Mumbai Police, INTERPOL, and the CBI itself.
Focus on Key Crime Sectors
During the two-day sessions, 25 panelists from different agencies made detailed presentations on subjects such as:
effective use of international cooperation channels,
use of technology to locate fugitives,
strategies for tracking financial trails, and
improving inter-agency coordination.
Special sessions focused on narcotics, terrorism, cybercrime, organized crime, and financial offenders—areas where fugitives frequently exploit cross-border loopholes.The conference also examined the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, exploring possibilities of seizing global assets of offenders wanted in India.
Tracking Money, Tracing Criminals
One of the key deliberations centered on the need to target the financial networks of fugitives. Experts emphasized the use of anti–money laundering frameworks and international platforms such as EGMONT and ARIN-AP to trace illicit funds. Participants were also introduced to the new INTERPOL Silver Notice, which focuses on tracing and targeting the illicit assets of criminals.
Legal Reforms and Technological Integration
NIA Director General Sadanand Date highlighted provisions under India’s new criminal laws, especially those related to trial in absentia, which can help in prosecuting absconding offenders.CBI Director Praveen Sood underscored the importance of data sharing and inter-agency database integration to enhance coordination and synergy in tracking fugitives globally.
Roadmap for the Future
In his valedictory address, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan said the deliberations of the conference had laid a clear roadmap for India’s future extradition strategy. He emphasized the importance of improving the quality of documentation and evidence in extradition requests so that they can withstand rigorous international legal scrutiny. Mohan also highlighted several ongoing initiatives of the Home Ministry aimed at expediting the process of bringing back wanted criminals to India.
As part of the event, 35 CBI officers who received the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM) and Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) were also felicitated.
Towards Stronger Global Cooperation
The conference concluded with a collective resolve to deepen international collaboration in criminal matters, enhance the efficiency of the extradition process, and ensure that fugitives who evade Indian law abroad are brought back swiftly to face justice.
Officials described the discussions as a significant step toward developing a unified national framework—combining legal reform, technological innovation, and diplomatic engagement—to strengthen India’s pursuit of justice beyond its borders.
