2 weeks ago
India's Fugitive Repatriation Surges Under Modi Government's Crackdown
A fugitive is someone who runs away to another country so they don't have to face the police or court.
For a long time, people thought running away to another country meant escaping punishment forever.
India's government says it has been working hard to bring these people back.
In the last seven years, they brought back 274 people from 36 different countries.
That is about ten times more people per year than before 2014.
New laws now let the government take money and things that these fugitives took with them.
The police also got a new computer system called Bharatpol to share information faster with each other and with police in other countries.
There is even a new rule that lets a trial happen even when the accused person stays abroad.
All of this happened step by step over many years, and now it is much harder for a fugitive to get away forever.
India has repatriated 274 fugitives from 36 countries over the past seven years.
The annual average of repatriations is nearly ten times the annual average between 2004 and 2013.
Between 2019 and 2026, the government seized assets worth ₹17,874 crore and restituted ₹18,762 crore.
Bharatpol, launched in January 2025, connects more than 1,400 unit offices of central and state agencies.
The 2024 criminal laws introduced 'trial in absentia' provisions for fugitive offenders for the first time.
- Who
- The Government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with investigative agencies and international partners.
- What
- India intensified its crackdown on fugitives abroad, repatriating 274 fugitives from 36 countries and strengthening legal, financial and international coordination mechanisms.
- Where
- India, with operations spanning 36 countries.
- When
- The transformation began in 2014 and continued through January 2026.
- Why
- To dismantle the belief that fleeing abroad can shield criminals from justice, ensuring no border is beyond the reach of Indian law.
Key facts
- Fugitives repatriated
- 274 from 36 countries in the past seven years
- Annual average increase
- Nearly 10 times the annual average of 2004–2013
- Assets seized (2019–2026)
- ₹17,874 crore
- Assets restituted (2019–2026)
- ₹18,762 crore
- Bharatpol launch
- Launched January 2025; 1,400+ agency unit offices connected
- Key legislation
- Fugitive Economic Offenders Act and 2024 criminal laws with 'trial in absentia' provision
- International summit
- India hosted the 90th Interpol General Assembly in 2022
- Latest measure
- Standing Focus Group set up in January 2026 to track high-profile fugitives abroad








