28 Fugitive Offenders Living Outside India: CBI

August 4: A legal drive has been carried out by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to bring 28 fugitive Indians, including six women, back to their nation, who have been charged for Financial irregularities and criminal offences and they have been believed to be living in abroad since 2015 as well.

On July 25, a report has been submitted in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Gen. (Retd.) V.K. Singh, wherein names of all the fugitive members have been given. Following this, Thomas also said that an effort was being made for securing the presence of these accused in the country by the issuance of Look out circular (LOC), Red Corner Notice (RCN) and Extradition request.

On the contrary, out of the 28 fugitive people, CBI is pursuing the cases pertaining to 23 fugitives and Enforcement Director is handling 13 cases. to be very surprising, eight-person were found in both the list, that is, both CBI and ED.

Vijay Mallya, Mehul Choksi, Nirav Modi, Jatin Mehta, Ashish Jobanputra, Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara, and Diptiben Chetankumar Sandesara.

The Indian Konkani businessman Vijay Vittal Mallya, once called the King of Good Times have been embroiled in financial scandals and controversies since 2012. Mallya has been allegedly charged with looting an amount of US$1.3 billion (approximately 9000 crores), in loans, from 17 Indian banks and left India on 2md March 2016, after saying he wanted to move to Britain to be closer to his children.

Another Indian origin, owner of the Gitanjali Group, Mehul Chinubhai Choksi has been issued an arrest warrant as he was allegedly involved in Punjab National Bank fraud cases and stock market manipulation in 2013.

Another Fugitive businessman and owner of 'Nirav Modi Global Diamond Jewellery House' was absconding since early 2018 as he was allegedly charged with being involved $2 billion fraud case at Punjab National Bank (PNB). In June 2018, Nirav Modi was reported to be in the UK and has applied for political asylum at Britain’s Home Office.

Jatin Mehta is the promoter of Windome Diamonds Pvt. Ltd. He is one of the biggest defaulters in the history of India. more than that of Vijay Mallya. Jatin got more than Rs. 5000 crores of the loan from various Public Sector Banks from 2010 to 2012. He defaulted and was declared willful defaulter at the end of 2013.

Ashish B Jobanputra and his wife Preeti Jobanputra were the promoters of the Mumbai-based textile export firm ABC Cotspin Private Ltd. Ashish has been allegedly indulged in the Rs 770-crore bill discounting scam involving State Bank of India (SBI) and Bank of Baroda (BoB).

Gujarat-based pharmaceutical company Sterling Biotech Directors Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara and Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara allegedly involved in money laundering worth Rs 5,000-crore bank fraud case.

On March 12, 2018, the Fugitive Economic Offenders, Bill, 2018 was introduced in the lower house of the Parliament of India (Lok Sabha). this seeks to confiscate properties and assets of economic offenders that evade prosecution by remaining outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts. Economic offenses with a value of more than Rs 100 crores, which are listed in the schedule of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, come under the purview of this law. According to the bill, a special court under the "Prevention of Money, laundering Act, 2002" has to declare a person as a Fugitive Economic Offender. On July 25, 2018, the Parliament of India has passed the bill.