CHANDIGARH: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has secured the return of two wanted fugitives from the United Arab Emirates, including Alok Kumar, also known as Yashpal Singh.
He was allegedly part of a well-organised racket that assisted individuals in obtaining Indian passports using fake documents and identities.
The Haryana police were on the lookout for him on multiple charges, including fraud, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.
The CBI said that the accused was a key conspirator in a well-organised racket involved in procuring Indian passports based on forged documents and false information.
Many individuals with criminal backgrounds likely benefited from this operation, as several of them with criminal antecedents were allegedly facilitated by the accused in obtaining passports using fabricated identities and addresses.
At the request of Haryana Police, the CBI got a Red Notice published against Kumar through Interpol. Following an Interpol alert, he was located and arrested in the UAE.
Thereafter, an extradition request was submitted to the UAE authorities, and he was extradited to India.
He landed in Mumbai on May 1, where Haryana police took him into custody.
The other accused is Kamlesh Parekh, wanted in connection with a massive banking fraud that caused losses worth Rs 2,672 crore to a consortium of banks led by the State Bank of India.
According to CBI officials, Parekh and other promoters allegedly diverted loan funds through overseas entities and manipulated transactions using fraudulent means.
The accused, in conspiracy with other promoters and directors, facilitated the diversion of bank funds through a network of overseas entities and business activities, including in the UAE, while actively managing export-related operations and financial transactions of the company and its associated entities abroad.
He used fraudulent practices such as the manipulation of financial transactions and the misuse of banking channels.
The case was registered by CBI in Kolkata in 2016 for allegedly cheating a consortium of 25 banks.
Parekh was brought to Delhi on May 1 and has since been taken into custody by the CBI.
Both extraditions were made possible through close coordination between Indian agencies and UAE officials, along with the support of Interpol, as red corner notices were issued.
The UAE authorities detained them, following which extradition procedures were completed in coordination with Indian agencies. The operations involved close coordination between the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs and international law enforcement agencies.
More than 150 wanted criminals have been brought back to India in recent years through Interpol mechanisms and coordinated diplomatic engagement.