NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday proposed a series of measures to strengthen India’s approach to handling fugitives, including the establishment of special prisons in every state that meet international standards and the cancellation of passports for individuals against whom Interpol Red Notices have been issued. Speaking at a two-day conference attended by state police chiefs, Shah argued that such steps would counter the common legal defence used by fugitives — including Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Mehul Choksi — who often claim poor prison conditions in India to resist extradition in foreign courts.
Shah suggested that passports of fugitives should be immediately revoked once a Red Notice is issued, thereby curbing their international movement. “It’s not a difficult task with current technology. If we integrate this into our system, it will significantly help in bringing fugitives back to India,” he said. He also stressed the importance of building a scientific and comprehensive database of fugitives, detailing the nature of their crimes, their current whereabouts, any networks they may still be operating within the country, and the status of ongoing repatriation efforts.
A key proposal put forward by Shah was the creation of special prison facilities in every state capital, built to international standards. This, he said, would neutralise the argument often raised in foreign courts that Indian prisons are substandard and violate human rights. “While I do not agree with such claims, we should not allow fugitives to use this as an excuse. If it’s a loophole, we must close it,” he remarked.
The home minister also called for specialised extradition cells within every state police department. He emphasised that extradition is a domain requiring nuanced legal expertise, especially in interpreting international treaties, foreign laws, and aligning them with India’s legal framework. While some states already have such units, Shah urged all police chiefs to establish dedicated teams without delay and recommended that the CBI set up a centralised unit to support and guide these state-level efforts.
In addition, Shah urged law enforcement agencies to make full use of the new “trial in absentia” provision under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), introduced by the Modi government as part of its overhaul of colonial-era criminal laws. This legal provision allows trials to proceed even in the absence of the accused, with the condition that appeals in such cases can be made only through the convict’s physical presence in a high court.
He also highlighted the need for better coordination between passport authorities and law enforcement, particularly in identifying and flagging individuals involved in serious crimes. A special focus was placed on the conversion of Interpol Blue Notices, which are used to track a fugitive’s location, into Red Notices, which can lead to detention. Officials noted that in several cases, state police fail to upgrade notices even after filing chargesheets, often due to a lack of awareness.
To ensure more efficient action in such cases, Shah proposed the formation of special units within the CBI and Intelligence Bureau under the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC). These units, he said, would be tasked with ensuring the successful implementation of fugitive-tracking efforts across states, and facilitating inter-agency cooperation to improve India’s record on extraditions.