New Delhi, Sep 3 (UNI) A fugitive criminal, Manipal Dhilla, who had been on the run in connection with several cases in Haryana, was extradited to India from Cambodia by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) with assistance from Interpol.
After being released on parole he had fled abroad using a fake passport. The CBI collaborated with international agencies to track his location, leading to his eventual capture.
The CBI coordinated with Haryana Police, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to ensure his return.
Manipal Dhilla, alias Sonu Kumar, was brought back to India yesterday. “Dhilla is a notorious criminal wanted by Haryana Police in a number of cases,” said a senior CBI official.
Dhilla was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2013 for murder, attempted murder, illegal use of firearms and criminal conspiracy. An FIR was originally lodged against him at the Sadar Bahadurgarh Police Station. He had also been previously convicted in two other cases.
“While he was serving his sentence, he was released on a six-week parole from Hisar Central Jail in 2018. He later failed to report back to jail and absconded,” the official stated.
Following a request from Haryana Police, the CBI secured a Red Corner Notice against Dhilla through Interpol in 2024.
The CBI contacted the National Central Bureau (NCB) in Bangkok to locate Dhilla, which revealed his travel movements from Thailand to Cambodia. The CBI then coordinated with Cambodian authorities who confirmed that Dhilla had travelled using a fraudulently acquired passport under the fake name Sonu Kumar.
“A request for provisional arrest was sent to NCB-Phnom Penh, Cambodia, through INTERPOL channels in 2025. NCB-Phnom Penh confirmed Dhilla’s arrest and requested a formal extradition request through diplomatic channels. Cambodian authorities later informed us of their decision to hand Dhilla over to Indian authorities,” said the official.
A team from Haryana Police subsequently travelled to Cambodia to bring Dhilla back.
“Red Notices published by INTERPOL are circulated to law enforcement agencies globally to track wanted criminals. The CBI, as the National Central Bureau for INTERPOL in India, coordinates with all law enforcement agencies in India through BHARATPOL for assistance via INTERPOL channels. More than 100 wanted criminals have been returned to India in the last few years through this coordination,” the CBI stated.
