In a major breakthrough for Indian law enforcement, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken Monika Kapoor, a fugitive economic offender, into custody in the United States, ending a pursuit that spanned over two decades.
Kapoor, accused in a 2002 import-export fraud, is now being extradited to India to face trial.
The development comes after years of sustained diplomatic and legal coordination between India and the United States.
In a statement, the CBI confirmed that its team has taken physical custody of Kapoor and is in the process of returning her to India.
The fraud & conspiracy
Monika Kapoor, proprietor of M/s Monika Overseas, along with her brothers Rajan Khanna and Rajeev Khanna, allegedly forged multiple export-related documents—including shipping bills, invoices, and bank certificates—in 1998.
This forged documentation further allowed them to fraudulently obtain six Replenishment Licences to import duty-free gold worth ₹2.36 crore.
Kapoor and her associates sold the licences at a premium to M/s Deep Exports, an Ahmedabad-based firm, which imported gold using them and caused a ₹1.44 crore loss to the Indian exchequer.
Following an investigation, the CBI filed a charge sheet on 31 March 2004, charging all three under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including conspiracy, cheating, and forgery.
In 2017, Rajan and Rajeev Khanna were convicted. However, Monika Kapoor absconded and refused to cooperate with the investigation or trial.
The court declared Kapoor a proclaimed offender in 2006, and in 2010, it issued a non-bailable arrest warrant and a Red Corner Notice against her.
Moreover, the CBI formally requested her extradition from the United States on 19 October 2010, setting in motion a complex legal process.
After years of effort and close coordination with US agencies—including the Department of Justice and Homeland Security Investigations—a CBI team travelled to the United States and has now secured her return.
A message against economic crime
The extradition of Monika Kapoor marks a significant success in India’s ongoing efforts to tackle transnational financial crimes.
A senior CBI official called the move “a message to all fugitives that evading justice is no longer an option, no matter the jurisdiction.”
The authorities will conduct a medical examination of Kapoor upon her arrival, after which the CBI will produce her before the appropriate court and seek her custodial remand.
The CBI has also reaffirmed its commitment to actively pursuing economic offenders and holding them accountable under Indian law.
“The agency remains steadfast in its mission to combat economic crimes and bring fugitives to justice,” the press release stated.
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