Fugitive Economic Offender

A Fugitive Economic Offender is a legal term in India. It relates to any individual against whom a warrant for arrest in relation to a "scheduled offence" has been issued by any Indian court under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act. It applies to individuals who either left India to avoid criminal prosecution; or, being abroad, refuses to return to India to face criminal prosecution. The list of Fugitive Economic Offenders currently residing abroad is Pushpesh Baid, Ashish Jobanputra, Vijay Mallya, Sunny Kalra, Sanjay Kalra, Sudhir Kumar Kalra, Aarti Kalra, Varsha Kalra, Jatin Mehta, Umesh Parekh, Kamlesh Parekh, Nilesh Parekh, Eklavya Garg, Vinay Mittal, Nirav Modi, Neeshal Modi, Mehul Choksi, Sabya Seth, Rajiv Goyal, Alka Goyal, Lalit Modi, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara, Chetankumar Sandesara, Ritesh Jain, Hitesh Narendrabhai Patel, Mayuriben Patel and Priti Ashish Jobanputra.[1][2][3][4]

History

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2018

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On 14 March 2018, Minister of State for External Affairs M. J. Akbar stated the names of the 31 absconding businesspeople in the Lok Sabha, including diamond traders Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Jatin Mehta and embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who is facing an investigation from the Central Bureau of Investigation.[5]

Minister of State for External Affairs Gen. (Retd.) V. K. Singh submitted the Fugitive Economic Offender names to the Lok Sabha on 25 July 2018. Singh said: "efforts are being made for securing the presence of these accused in the country by way of issuance of Look out Circular, (Red corner notice) and extradition requests." The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate are pursuing legal actions to bring back 28 Indians (including six women), who have been charged for financial irregularities and criminal offenses, and are believed to have been living abroad since 2015.[1]

2019

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On 4 January 2019, Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla said in the Lok Sabha the names of the 27 defaulting businessmen and economic offenders who had fled the country in the last five years. Interpol has been approached and asked to issue red corner notices to 20 of the 27 offenders.[6]

2020

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On February 5, 2020, the Minister of State for Finance S.P. Shukla informed the Lok Sabha that a total of 72 Indians charged with frauds or financial irregularities are currently abroad and efforts are being made to bring them back to the country. Only 2 of the fugitives have been brought back to India and they are Vinay Mittal and Sunny Kalra.[7]

List of Fugitive Economic Offender

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Name of the person Amount Swindled in Rs.Crores Accused Company Name Lives in Extradition Status
Vijay Mallaya 7,505[8] M/s.Kingfisher Airlines Ltd United Kingdom Not extradited – extradition is in progress
Mehul Choksi 7,080[8] Gitanjali group (M/s.Gitanjali Gems Ltd, M/s.Gili Jewellery, M/s.D'damas, M/s.Nakshatra World Ltd) Antigua Not extradited – India does not have an extradition treaty with Antigua, but India is trying to bring back Choksi under the provisions of the 1993 Extradition Act of Antigua and Barbuda, which provides for extradition of a fugitive to a designated Commonwealth country.[9]
Jatin Metha 6,580[10] M/s.Winsome Diamonds and Jewellery Ltd, M/s.Precious Jewellery and Diamond and M/s.Su-Raj Diamonds St Kitts and Nevis Not extradited – India does not have an extradition treaty with St Kitts and Nevis
Nirav Modi 6,498[8] M/s.Firestar Diamond Ltd and M/s.Nirav Modi Ltd United Kingdom Not extradited – extradition is in progress
Nitin Sandesara and Chetan Sandesara 5,383[11] M/s.Sterling Biotech Ltd and M/s.PMT Machines[12] Nigeria Not extradited
Umesh Parekh, Kamlesh Parekh and Nilesh Parekh 2,672[13] M/s.Shree Ganesh Jewellery House Ltd Dubai; Kenya[14] Not extradited
Lalit Modi 1,700[15] M/s.Modi Enterprises Ltd and M/s.IPL United Kingdom Not extradited – extradition is in progress[16]
Ritesh Jain[17] 1,421[18] M/s.Rajeshwar Exports Ltd and M/s.Auro Gold Jewellery Private Ltd[19] Not extradited
Rajiv Goyal and Alka Goyal[20] 778[8] M/s.Surya Pharmaceuticals Ltd Not extradited
Ashish Jobanputra[21] 770[4] M/s.ABC Cotspin Private Ltd Not extradited
Sabhya Seth 390[8] M/s.Dwarka Das Seth International Private Ltd[22] Dubai [23] Not extradited
Sanjay Bhandari 150[4] M/s.Offset India Solutions Private Ltd and M/s.Avaana Software and Services Private Ltd[24] Not extradited
Vinay Mittal 43.19[4] M/s.Krishna and Krishna Enterprises and M/s.Mittal Metals [25] Indonesia Extradited [26]
Sunny Kalra 10[4] M/s.White Tiger Steels Private Ltd [27] Oman Extradited [27]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b The Hindu Net Desk (4 August 2018). "List of fugitive economic offenders living abroad" – via www.thehindu.com.
  2. ^ "28 Fugitive Economic Offenders Living Outside India, Says Govt". 6 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Who Are the Top Financial Offenders Besides Mallya? Govt Makes List Public - Dailyhunt ExamPrep". Dailyhunt.
  4. ^ a b c d e Upadhyay, Jayshree P. (16 March 2018). "Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya, and 29 other Indian fugitives owe Rs40,000 crore". Mint.
  5. ^ "31 business people under CBI probe absconding: Ministry of External Affairs". The New Indian Express.
  6. ^ "27 economic offenders fled India in last 5 yrs". 4 January 2019.
  7. ^ "India catches only 2 of 72 fugitive economic offenders in 5 years: RTI". Business Standard. 20 November 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Mallya Leads The List Of India's 28 Fugitive Economic Offenders". BloombergQuint.
  9. ^ "PNB scam: Mehul Choksi says use of Antigua PM's powers to extradite him violates nation's democracy". businesstoday.in.
  10. ^ "How Jatin Mehta Of Winsome Diamonds Pulled Off A Rs 7000 Cr Scam & Is Living Peacefully In Caribbean Islands". 22 February 2018.
  11. ^ "CBI seeks info from Nigeria on accused Nitin Sandesara for Rs 5,300 crore fraud". Hindustan Times. 25 September 2018.
  12. ^ "The Fall of Sterling Biotech and the Brothers Sandesara". The Wire.
  13. ^ "Shree Ganesh Jewellery promoter arrested in multi-crore fraud case". @businessline.
  14. ^ "Will NAMO bring back Vijay Mallya, NiMo, Umesh Parekh?". 7 July 2018.
  15. ^ "Lalit Modi to be put on notice for Rs 1,700 crore IPL scam". Deccan Chronicle. 16 June 2015.
  16. ^ "India seeks UK help in extradition of Mallya, Lalit Modi". 30 May 2018 – via The Economic Times.
  17. ^ "ED all set to book diamond trader for laundering Rs 1,500 crore - Times of India". The Times of India.
  18. ^ "ED issues summons to 'middlemen' before nailing politicians in Rs 1500cr diamond remittance scam". in.news.yahoo.com.
  19. ^ Ghunawat, Virendrasingh (9 March 2017). "Mumbai: Politicians, bankers under ED's lens in Rs 1500 crore diamond remittance case". India Today.
  20. ^ "Cheating, forgery charges framed against accused in Rs 157 crore fraud - Times of India". The Times of India.
  21. ^ "Why CBI is inactive in Rs 770-crore bill discounting scam?". DNA India. 12 April 2016.
  22. ^ "OBC fraud: CBI quizzes Sabhya Seth's family - Times of India". The Times of India.
  23. ^ Chauhan, Neeraj (25 February 2018). "Oriental Bank of Commerce fraud: Delhi jewellers fled India in 2014, CBI says". The Times of India.
  24. ^ "Arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari's companies function merrily". 6 October 2018.
  25. ^ "HC sets aside 6 arrest orders against extradited industrialist Vinay Mittal in fraud cases". in.news.yahoo.com.
  26. ^ "Industrialist Vinay Mittal, wanted in 7 bank fraud cases, extradited from Indonesia". Zee News. 16 October 2018.
  27. ^ a b "CBI deports Sunny Kalra in PNB fraud case" – via The Economic Times.
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