New Delhi : Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has achieved another historic milestone in strengthening the rule of law, national security, and the criminal justice system. Over the past few years, the country’s extradition framework has undergone a comprehensive transformation under the leadership of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah. As a result, criminals who flee abroad after committing offences against India can no longer consider any part of the world a safe haven. India’s policy is now unequivocal: any fugitive, regardless of where they hide, will be brought back to face justice and ensure justice for victims.
There was a time when India’s extradition mechanism was widely regarded as slow, fragmented, and ineffective. The country had extradition arrangements with only 37 nations, legal proceedings remained pending for years, and coordination among various ministries and investigative agencies was inadequate. Between 2004 and 2013, India secured the extradition of only four fugitives per year on average, while more than 110 extradition requests remained pending. Incomplete documentation, delayed investigations, inadequate legal preparation in accordance with international standards, and legal hurdles such as the principles of Dual Criminality and Double Jeopardy often resulted in Indian extradition requests being rejected by foreign courts.
At that time, India also lacked a dedicated legal framework to confiscate the assets of economic offenders who had fled the country or to initiate effective action against them. Consequently, several major economic offenders and individuals involved in terrorism continued to evade Indian law while residing safely abroad.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi resolved to change this situation by enacting the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018. For the first time, this legislation empowered authorities to confiscate the assets of fugitive economic offenders, dismantle their financial networks, and strengthen the legal framework for bringing them back to India. Subsequently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah elevated the extradition of fugitives to the status of a national priority, treating it not merely as a legal process but as an issue intrinsically linked to national security, economic stability, and India’s sovereignty.
Since 2019, under the leadership of Amit Shah, India has developed an integrated, intelligence-led, and technology-driven extradition model. Through the Whole of Government Approach, unprecedented coordination has been established among the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI), and State Police forces. This coordinated approach has significantly accelerated the identification, tracking, documentation, and international pursuit of fugitive criminals.
The Government has not confined itself to administrative reforms alone but has also modernised the country’s legal framework. The National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Act, 2019 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2019 expanded the scope of action beyond terrorist organisations to include individual terrorists, their handlers, financiers, and overseas support networks. These reforms considerably strengthened India’s counter-terrorism architecture.
Continuing this reform agenda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah replaced over 160-year-old colonial criminal laws with three modern criminal justice legislations, including the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), thereby ushering India’s criminal justice system into the 21st century.
One of the most significant reforms introduced under the new legal framework is the provision for Trial in Absentia. Under Sections 355 and 356 of the BNSS, if an accused deliberately absconds abroad or refuses to appear before the court, judicial proceedings may continue in their absence, enabling courts to conclude trials and secure convictions. If the accused is subsequently arrested or voluntarily appears before the court, they will be given a full opportunity to present their defence in accordance with the principles of natural justice, while previously recorded evidence and witness testimonies will continue to remain legally valid. This landmark reform is expected to prevent the deliberate prolonging of criminal trials by absconding accused persons.
The new criminal laws also provide for audio-video recording of witness statements and extensive use of digital evidence, enhancing transparency, credibility, and efficiency within the judicial process.
These comprehensive reforms have not only transformed India’s extradition system into a far more effective mechanism but have also significantly enhanced the country’s credibility within the international community. Today, backed by robust legal preparation, proactive diplomacy, cutting-edge technology, and strong international cooperation, India has emerged as one of the leading nations in ensuring that fugitive criminals are brought to justice.
Continuing this comprehensive strategy, BHARATPOL, a national digital platform, was launched in January 2025 under the guidance of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah. Designed to strengthen information sharing and international coordination between India and INTERPOL, the platform has integrated the CBI, State Police Headquarters, INTERPOL Liaison Officers, and district-level law enforcement agencies into a unified information network. As a result, the exchange of intelligence and the processing of extradition requests have become significantly faster, more secure, and more efficient. Today, more than 1,400 Central and State-level agencies are connected through BHARATPOL, enabling seamless coordination and substantially reducing response time in international investigations.
Under the leadership of Home Minister Amit Shah, India has also given a new direction to global policing cooperation. By successfully hosting the 90th INTERPOL General Assembly in 2022, India demonstrated its emergence not merely as a participant but as a global leader in combating transnational crime. Addressing delegates from across the world, the Home Minister underlined “Communication, Collaboration and Cooperation” as the three pillars of effective global policing.
India’s proactive diplomacy, strong legal preparedness, and technological capabilities have significantly enhanced the country’s credibility on the international stage. This is reflected in the remarkable rise in the number of INTERPOL Red Corner Notices issued against fugitives. While 40 Red Corner Notices were issued in 2022, the number increased to 100 in 2023, 107 in 2024, 112 in 2025, and 182 in 2026 (till date). In the last three years alone, 401 Red Corner Notices have been issued, highlighting India’s increasingly aggressive and effective global strategy against fugitive offenders.
Similarly, between 2019 and 2026, India successfully secured the return of 274 fugitive criminals from 36 countries. These included terrorists, organised crime syndicate members, gangsters, economic offenders, narcotics traffickers, accused involved in murder, rape, POCSO offences, cybercrime, human trafficking, and several other serious crimes. These achievements are not merely statistical milestones but a reflection of India’s growing global credibility, effective diplomacy, and strengthened rule of law.
To identify, locate, and apprehend fugitives, the Government launched technology-driven initiatives such as Operation Trishul in mission mode. Working in close coordination with INTERPOL, Indian agencies utilised digital profiling, satellite-based tracking, surveillance, and advanced investigative technologies to trace offenders who had changed their identities or assumed false names abroad. The use of video conferencing and digital evidence also accelerated extradition-related judicial proceedings, making the process more efficient and legally robust.
The Government’s policy towards terrorism and anti-national activities has remained one of Zero Tolerance. Coordinated action against terror networks operating from abroad, cross-border terrorism, pro-Khalistan elements, gangster-terror syndicates, narco-terrorism, and organised crime has significantly strengthened India’s internal security architecture. Similarly, decisive action against fugitives associated with the Popular Front of India (PFI), economic offences, cybercrime, and international drug trafficking has demonstrated India’s capability to dismantle transnational criminal ecosystems operating beyond its borders.
The Government has also adopted a firm approach against economic crimes. Through the stringent implementation of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), assets worth ₹17,874 crore belonging to fugitive criminals have been attached between 2019 and 2026, and substantial amounts restored to victims. This has sent a strong message that fleeing the country after committing financial crimes is no longer a viable escape from justice.
India’s success has been made possible through strengthened cooperation with several countries, including the United States, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Germany, Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and many others. These partnerships underline India’s belief that effective international cooperation, strong legal preparation, sustained diplomatic engagement, and modern technology are essential to combating transnational crime.
At the heart of these achievements lies the Whole of Government Approach championed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, CBI, NIA, ED, IB, RAW, NCB, DGGI, and State Police forces have worked together under a unified strategy to ensure swift and coordinated action. Further strengthening this framework, a Standing Focus Group was constituted under the Multi Agency Centre (MAC) in January 2026 to enhance coordination between Central agencies and State Governments in fugitive-related cases.
India’s new extradition policy is no longer confined to bringing fugitives back to face trial. It has evolved into a comprehensive national mission aimed at delivering justice to victims, dismantling organised criminal networks, strengthening national security, safeguarding economic interests, and reinforcing public confidence in the rule of law.
Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the decisive guidance of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, India has sent an unequivocal message to the world: any individual who commits crimes against India, irrespective of where they hide across the globe, will be brought before the law and held accountable. This reflects the determination, institutional strength, and rising global stature of a New India committed to justice without compromise.
