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) pic.twitter.com/qXAjkLrq8G

— 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.