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India extradites economic fugitive Monika Kapoor from US
Kapoor, who fled to the United States in 1999, is wanted for a multi-million dollar gold import fraud dating back to 1998.
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Malvika Choudhary - Thu, 10, Jul 2025
- 15:31 EDT
- 23
Representative Image / istock
India’s federal investigative agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), extradited Monika Kapoor, a long-time economic fugitive, from the United States on July 9.
The arrest ends a 20-year effort to bring her to justice in a high-profile gold import fraud case. Kapoor, who fled to the United States in 1999, arrived in India the same night and was produced before a trial court in New Delhi.
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The case dates back to 1998, when Kapoor—proprietor of the firm Monika Overseas—along with her brothers Rajan Khanna and Rajiv Khanna, allegedly forged export-related documents including shipping bills, invoices, and bank certificates to fraudulently obtain six "Replenishment Licenses" for duty-free gold imports.
CBI CRACKDOWN ON ECONOMIC OFFENDERS;
— Central Bureau of Investigation (India) (@CBIHeadquarters) July 9, 2025
SUCCEDES IN EXTRADITION OFA FUGITIVE FROM USA IN A 2002 IMPORT-EXPORT FRAUD CASE pic.twitter.com/jgEbRewRAv
The licenses, valued at approximately $2.8 million, were later sold at a premium to Deep Exports, a company based in Ahmedabad, which used them to import gold without paying customs duty. The fraudulent scheme caused an estimated loss of $679,000 to the Indian government.
Following a thorough investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet in March 2004 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery. While Kapoor’s brothers were convicted in December 2017 by a Delhi court, Kapoor remained at large and was declared a proclaimed offender in 2006.
In 2010, both a Red Corner Notice and a non-bailable arrest warrant were issued against her. That same year, India formally submitted an extradition request to the United States under the bilateral extradition treaty. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York approved her extradition in 2012.
Kapoor’s legal challenge was rejected by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in March 2025, which dismissed her claims under the United Nations Convention Against Torture and the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act (FARRA). The U.S. Secretary of State subsequently signed the surrender warrant, clearing the way for her return.
A team of CBI officials travelled to the U.S. to take custody of Kapoor and brought her back on American Airlines flight AA 292, which landed in New Delhi on July 9.
In a statement, the CBI described the extradition as “a major breakthrough in the pursuit of justice,” reaffirming its resolve to hold economic offenders accountable, regardless of international boundaries. The agency added that it will continue to exhaust all legal avenues to ensure fugitives are brought before Indian courts.
Kapoor will now face trial in India for her alleged role in the multi-crore gold import fraud.
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