New Delhi, Nov 14 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has successfully facilitated the return of wanted fugitive Jagdish Punetha from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), an official statement said on Friday.

Punetha, against whom a Red Notice was issued earlier this year, is wanted by the Uttarakhand Police in FIR No 239/2021 registered at the Pithoragarh police station on charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy.

After the case was registered, he fled India and was residing in the UAE.

The CBI, acting as India’s National Central Bureau (NCB) for Interpol, coordinated with UAE law-enforcement authorities to trace and apprehend Punetha.

The Red Corner Notice against him was published through Interpol in May this year at the request of the Uttarakhand Police, enabling agencies worldwide to track his movements.

Following his detention in the UAE, a team from the Uttarakhand Police travelled to the Gulf nation to take custody of the fugitive. The team brought him back to India on Thursday, the statement added.

The CBI noted that Red Notices issued by Interpol are circulated globally to assist in locating and arresting wanted persons. As the NCB, the CBI works closely with Indian law enforcement agencies through the BHARATPOL platform to seek and provide assistance via Interpol channels.

Earlier in September, fugitive Parminder Singh, wanted for terror-related offences, was extradited from the UAE in an operation coordinated by the CBI. Parminder Singh was wanted by the Punjab Police for allegedly raising funds for terror-related activities.

According to the agency, more than 150 wanted criminals have been brought back to India in recent years through coordinated efforts using these international mechanisms.

–IANS

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