New Delhi, September 3 (HS): In a major breakthrough, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in close coordination with Haryana Police, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Ministry of Home Affairs, has successfully extradited dreaded gangster Manpal Dhilla alias Manpal Badli alias Sonu Kumar from Cambodia to India.

According to a CBI spokesperson, Dhilla, long wanted by Haryana Police in multiple criminal cases, was flown back to India on September 2. Once a hardened criminal, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2013 for a 2007 case involving murder, attempt to murder, illegal arms possession, and criminal conspiracy. Apart from this, he has also been convicted in two other cases.

However, Dhilla absconded in 2018 when he failed to return to Hisar Central Jail after being released on a six-week parole. Acting on a request from Haryana Police, the CBI secured a Red Corner Notice against him through Interpol in November 2024.

Investigations later revealed that Dhilla had traveled from Thailand to Cambodia on a forged passport under the name Sonu Kumar. The CBI formally requested his arrest from Cambodian authorities in March 2025. Following the request, Cambodian police arrested him in July 2025, eventually approving his extradition to India. A special Haryana Police team brought him back on September 2.

It is noteworthy that as Interpol’s National Central Bureau (NCB) in India, the CBI regularly coordinates with law enforcement agencies through Interpol channels. Over the past few years, this mechanism has enabled the repatriation of more than 100 wanted fugitives to India.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar