New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS) In a major success for law enforcement agencies, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has secured the return of wanted fugitive Lakhvinder Kumar from the United States, the CBI said on Saturday.  

Kumar, a key associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, was deported and arrived in India on October 25, 2025, where he was immediately taken into custody by a Haryana Police team at Delhi Airport.

According to the CBI, Kumar faces multiple criminal cases in Haryana related to extortion, intimidation, illegal possession and use of firearms, and attempt to murder.

Acting on a request from Haryana Police, the CBI had facilitated the publication of an INTERPOL Red Notice against him on October 26, 2024, which led to his eventual tracing and deportation.

As India’s National Central Bureau for INTERPOL, the CBI coordinated closely with US authorities through the BHARATPOL platform, ensuring seamless information exchange and extradition logistics.

A Red Notice issued by INTERPOL serves as a global alert to locate and provisionally arrest fugitives pending extradition.

The CBI has successfully coordinated the return of over 130 wanted criminals in recent years through such international cooperation.

This operation marks another significant step in India’s ongoing crackdown on transnational organised crime and its effort to bring fugitives hiding abroad to justice.

Notably, last month, CBI in collaboration with Haryana Police, MEA and MHA successfully coordinated return of wanted fugitive Mainpal Dhilla alias Sonu Kumar on September 2, 2025 from Cambodia.

He is a notorious criminal wanted by Haryana Police in a number of cases.

He was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the offence of murder, attempt to murder, illegal use of firearms and criminal conspiracy on March 29, 2013 in a case – FIR No. 276 dated September 26, 2007 registered at Police Station Sadar Bahadurgarh.

Similarly, in collaboration with Gujarat Police and Central government Ministries, CBI last month succeeded in bringing back a fugitive from the UAE in connection with a money laundering and tax evasion case registered in Gujarat.

Harshit Babulal Jain, wanted by the Gujarat Police in a case of tax evasion, illegal gambling and money laundering, was deported from the UAE and handed over to the Gujarat Police on September 5 at Ahmedabad International Airport.

–IANS

sas/pgh