Latest news with #MonikaKapoor
Hindustan Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Who is Monika Kapoor, extradited by CBI from US? Why was she absconding?
A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday took custody of Monika Kapoor, an economic offender, from the United States, in what the probe agency described as a "major breakthrough". A team of CBI officials returning on board American Airlines flight with fugitive of 25-years Monika Kapoor (extreme left) after her extradition from the US.(PTI) Being brought to India on an American Airlines flight, Kapoor is set to face trial in a ₹1.44 crore gold import scam case. She had been absconding since 1999, and a case was registered against her for allegedly forging export documents and illegally selling import licences. Why Monika Kapoor was on the run Monika Kapoor is the proprietor of a Delhi-based firm named M/s Monika Overseas. She is accused of forging export-related documents, including shipping bills, invoices, and bank certificates, with help from her brothers Rajan Khanna and Rajeev Khanna. The documents were forged for jewellery transactions, and were later used to secure six Replenishment Licenses, duty-free import permits intended for legitimate exporters to replace raw materials used in manufacturing goods for export. Kapoor then allegedly sold the licences to an Ahmedabad-based company, Deep Exports, at a premium, a CBI spokesperson said. The company then used these licences to import gold without paying customs duty, resulting in a loss of approximately ₹1.44 crore (around $679,000) to the government exchequer. While her brothers were convicted in 2017, the CBI had been making efforts to catch hold of Monika since 2002, when the probe agency launched an investigation in the matter. CBI breakthrough after two decades The CBI had been probing Monika Kapoor since 2002, and two years later, filed a charge sheet against her and her brothers for alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery. She was declared a proclaimed offender on February 13, 2006. Under the bilateral extradition treaty between India and the US, a district court of New York cleared her extradition in 2012, two years after the CBI sought it. Despite Monika Kapoor's appeals in the US against the move, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the extradition in March 2025. Over three months later, Monika Kapoor has been extradited to India.
Hindustan Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
23 years on, CBI gets woman deported from USA in ₹1.44 crore gold import scam
MUMBAI: After more than two decades on the run, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has finally brought back businesswoman Monika Kapoor from the United States to face trial in a ₹1.44 crore gold import scam dating back to the late 1990s. 23 years on, CBI gets woman deported from USA in ₹ 1.44 crore gold import scam Kapoor, now in CBI custody, had vanished soon after she was booked in 2002 for allegedly forging export documents and illegally selling import licences, causing massive losses to the government exchequer. Officials said she had been living in the US under the radar, even as Indian courts declared her a fugitive and issued a Red Corner Notice for her arrest. A Red Corner Notice, also known as a Red Notice, is a request issued by Interpol to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. The CBI said Kapoor, proprietor of the Delhi-based firm M/s Monika Overseas, colluded with her brothers—Rajan Khanna and Rajeev Khanna—and forged export-related documents, including shipping bills, invoices, and bank certificates. On the strength of these fake papers, she obtained six Replenishment Licenses, a special kind of duty-free import licence meant for genuine exporters to replenish raw materials used in export production. Instead of using the licences for legitimate imports, Kapoor allegedly sold them at a premium to an Ahmedabad-based firm, Deep Exports. That firm then used the licences to import duty-free gold worth ₹2.36 crore—cheating the government out of ₹1.44 crore in customs duties. The scam unfolded in 1998, but the case was formally registered by the CBI only in 2002. After a lengthy investigation, a charge sheet was filed in 2004 against Kapoor and her brothers. In 2017, a Delhi court convicted Rajan and Rajeev, but Kapoor had already slipped out of the country and never joined the probe. The court declared her a proclaimed offender in 2006 and issued an open non-bailable warrant against her in 2010. That same year, an Interpol Red Corner Notice was issued, prompting a worldwide hunt. India formally requested Kapoor's extradition from the US in October 2010. Years of back-channel negotiations and legal processes followed before US authorities finally handed her over. A CBI team travelled to the US to take custody of Kapoor and escort her back to India, marking the end of her long flight from justice. 'This extradition marks a major breakthrough in the pursuit of justice,' a senior CBI official said. 'It sends a strong message that no fugitive can escape the law forever—international boundaries are no bar.' Kapoor will reach Delhi via a flight around 10.30 pm tonight, agency sources said.
News18
09-07-2025
- Business
- News18
Who Is Monika Kapoor, Economic Offender Extradited By CBI From US After 26 Years?
Last Updated: In 1998, Kapoor and her brothers allegedly forged shipping bills, invoices, and export documents to fraudulently obtain government licenses for duty-free gold imports Monika Kapoor, a fugitive accused of economic offences, is finally being brought back to India from the United States by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after being on the run for over 25 years, officials said on Wednesday. Kapoor, who fled to the US in 1999 following her alleged involvement in a fraud case, has been taken into CBI custody and is en route to India on an American Airlines flight. The flight is expected to land in India late Wednesday night, the officials added. Early Life Kapoor was a Delhi-based businesswoman and the proprietor of Monika Overseas, an import-export firm. She operated alongside her brothers, Rajan and Rajiv Khanna, and was once a relatively unknown figure in the bustling trading circles of the Capital. However, her name would later become synonymous with one of India's most persistent economic offence cases. The Alleged Fraud In 1998, Kapoor and her brothers allegedly orchestrated a sophisticated financial fraud. According to CBI, the trio forged shipping bills, invoices, and export documents to fraudulently obtain government licenses for duty-free gold imports. The scam, which involved the manipulation of export promotion schemes, resulted in a loss of $USD 679,000 (approximately Rs 1.44 crore) to the Indian government. The CBI's investigation revealed that Kapoor's company had never actually exported the goods it claimed, and the documentation provided was fabricated to avail of the lucrative gold import licenses. As the investigation closed in, Kapoor fled India in 1999, leaving behind her business and family. She settled in the United States, where she managed to evade Indian authorities for over 25 years. During her time abroad, Kapoor was declared a proclaimed offender by an Indian court, and a non-bailable warrant was issued for her arrest. The CBI also secured an Interpol Red Notice, making her an internationally wanted fugitive. The Long Extradition Battle The CBI formally requested Kapoor's extradition from the US in 2010, initiating a protracted legal battle. Kapoor contested her extradition in US courts, raising concerns about her safety and potential torture if returned to India. She cited international human rights conventions and sought relief from the US Supreme Court, which at one point granted a temporary stay on her extradition. Despite these efforts, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld her extradition in March 2025. The US Secretary of State subsequently issued a surrender warrant, clearing the final legal hurdle. Kapoor's appeals were exhausted, and her return to India became imminent. Return to India and CBI Custody On July 9, a CBI team traveled to the United States and took custody of Kapoor, ending her 26-year run from justice. Kapoor is now set to face trial on charges of cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code. Legal Proceedings and Family Connections Kapoor's brothers, Rajan and Rajiv Khanna, who were also implicated in the case, had previously been convicted by Indian courts. Kapoor's extradition is seen as a significant victory for Indian law enforcement, which has faced criticism in the past for its inability to bring high-profile economic offenders back to face justice. view comments First Published: July 09, 2025, 16:39 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India.com
09-07-2025
- India.com
Who is Monika Kapoor? Woman extradited from US by CBI after 26 years on the run, she is accused of...
After more than 25 years on the run, Monika Kapoor is finally being brought back to India from the United States by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), officials said on Wednesday. Kapoor had left India in 1999 after being accused of cheating in a financial fraud case. She has now been taken into CBI's custody and is flying back to India on an American Airlines flight, which is expected to land late Wednesday night. A US court, the District Court for the Eastern District of New York, approved her extradition under the agreement between India and the U.S. Kapoor had tried to stop the extradition by saying she would face torture if sent back to India. However, the U.S. Secretary of State rejected her claim and signed a warrant for her to be sent back. Monika Kapoor (extreme left), a fugitive for 25 years, successfully extradited from the USA by the CBI. A team of CBI officials took her into custody in the USA. They are bringing her back to India on an American Airlines flight. (Source: Third Party) — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 9, 2025 Monika Kapoor accused of jewellery business fraud, returns after 25 years Monika Kapoor is accused of working with her two brothers to commit fraud by faking documents linked to their jewellery business. These fake papers were allegedly used to wrongly get duty-free licenses to import raw materials, which caused India to lose over USD 679,000 in revenue. India had officially asked the U.S. to send Kapoor back in October 2010, using the India-US Extradition Treaty. After a long legal battle that lasted more than 10 years, her return marks a big win for the CBI. CBI filed a charge sheet in 2004 against Monika The CBI filed a charge sheet in 2004 against Monika Kapoor and her brothers, Rajan and Rajiv, after completing its investigation into the fraud case. When Kapoor failed to appear for the investigation and skipped the trial, the court declared her a proclaimed offender in 2006. In 2010, a Red Corner Notice was issued by Interpol at the CBI's request, and India formally reached out to U.S. authorities for her extradition the same year. Meanwhile, her brothers faced trial in India. In 2017, a Delhi court convicted both Rajan and Rajiv for their role in the fraud.
India Gazette
09-07-2025
- India Gazette
CBI takes custody of alleged economic offender Monika Kapoor in US, ends 20-year chase
New Delhi [India], July 9 (ANI): Two decades chase of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) came to an end on Wednesday with the successful extradition of fugitive Monika Kapoor, an accused in a 2002 import-export fraud and was on run since then, from USA, the agency said in a statement. As per the CBI statement, Fugitive Monika Kapoor, Prop Of Monika Overseas, in conspiracy with her brothers, namely Rajan Khanna and Rajiv Khanna, forged export documents viz. shipping bills, invoices and bank certificates of export and realization during the year 1998 and obtained 6 replenishment licenses for import of duty-free gold worth Rs 2.36 cr. In furtherance of the criminal conspiracy, they sold the said licenses to Deep Exports, Ahmedabad, at a premium. Deep Exports utilised the said licenses and imported duty-free gold, which caused a loss to the government exchequer to the extent of Rs 1.44 Cr during the year 1998, the CBI said. On completion of the investigation, a charge sheet was filed on March 31, 2004, against Monika Kapoor, Rajan Khanna, and Rajeev Khanna u/s 120-B r/w 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, District Court Saket, New Delhi, had convicted Rajan Khanna and Rajeev Khanna via an order dated December 20, 2017. 'Accused Monika Kapoor did not join investigation and trial, she was declared proclaimed offender by the trial court on February 13, 2006. The Ld Trial Court has also issued open non-bailable warrant of arrest on April 26, 2010 and red Corner Notice also issued against her. A request for extradition was also sent by CBI on October 19, 2010 to the US Authorities,' the CBI said. Following intense coordination with authorities in the USA, a CBI team travelled to US to take custody of the fugitive. This extradition marks a major breakthrough in the pursuit of justice and reiterates CBI's commitment to bringing fugitives to face the law in India, irrespective of international boundaries, the CBI said. The CBI team is returning to India with the fugitive. Monika is being produced before the concerned court, and she will now face the trial, it said. The CBI remains steadfast in its mission to combat economic crimes and will continue to pursue all legal avenues to ensure that the fugitives are brought to justice, it added. (ANI)
