On the Run for 23 Years: Monica Kapoor Nabbed in US, CBI Set to Bring Her Back to India

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu) : In a major breakthrough, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has successfully extradited Monika Kapoor, a key accused in a 2002 import-export fraud case, who had been absconding for nearly 23 years. She was brought back to India from the United States in CBI custody on July 9, 2025.

Monika Kapoor, the owner of Monika Overseas, along with her brothers Rajan and Rajiv Khanna, was involved in preparing forged export documents — including shipping bills, invoices, and bank certificates — to fraudulently obtain six Replenishment Licenses in 1998. Using these licenses, they imported duty-free gold worth ₹2.36 crore. The licenses were later sold at a premium to an Ahmedabad-based firm, Deep Exports, which used them to import gold, resulting in a loss of ₹1.44 crore to the Indian government.

Following a detailed investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet against Monika Kapoor and her brothers on March 31, 2004, under IPC sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 467, 468 (forgery), and 471 (using forged documents). While Rajan and Rajiv Khanna were convicted by Delhi’s Saket Court on December 20, 2017, Monika Kapoor evaded both investigation and trial. She was declared a Proclaimed Offender on February 13, 2006, and a Red Corner Notice was issued against her in 2010.

The CBI had submitted an extradition request to U.S. authorities in 2010. After years of legal proceedings and sustained coordination with American agencies, Monika Kapoor was finally located and taken into custody. A CBI team traveled to the U.S. and brought her back to India. She is now set to be produced before an Indian court, where she will face charges related to the long-pending fraud case.