After a pursuit that spanned more than two decades, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has successfully extradited alleged economic offender Monika Kapoor from the United States to India. Kapoor, who had been evading Indian authorities since 1999, arrived in New Delhi under CBI custody on July 9, 2025, following a court-approved extradition in the US.
Kapoor, the proprietor of Monika Overseas, is accused of being the mastermind behind a fraudulent gold import scheme in 1998. Alongside her brothers Rajan Khanna and Rajiv Khanna, Kapoor allegedly forged shipping bills, invoices, and other financial documents to acquire six duty-free gold import licenses. These licenses were then illegally sold to Deep Exports, an Ahmedabad-based firm, resulting in a loss of approximately ₹1.44 crore to the Indian government.
The CBI filed a charge sheet against Kapoor and her associates in March 2004 under sections pertaining to criminal conspiracy, cheating, and forgery. While her brothers were convicted in 2017, Kapoor had already fled India in 1999. She was declared a proclaimed offender in 2006, and by 2010, both a non-bailable warrant and an Interpol Red Corner Notice had been issued against her.
The extradition process, initiated over a decade ago, saw the US courts approving her surrender in 2012. However, Kapoor fought a prolonged legal battle, claiming that extradition would violate international conventions, including the UN Convention Against Torture. Her final appeal was rejected by the US Second Circuit Court of Appeals in March 2025, and the Secretary of State subsequently issued a surrender warrant.
Following her return to India, Kapoor will be produced before the designated CBI court in Delhi for further legal proceedings. The successful extradition adds to a growing list of economic fugitives brought back to India in recent years, signaling the government’s intent to intensify its crackdown on white-collar crime and financial fraud.
This case reinforces the CBI’s commitment to tracking fugitives beyond national borders and working closely with international enforcement agencies to uphold accountability in financial crimes.
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