Shah Suggests Special Jails for Fugitives in Every State, Suspension of Passports After Interpol Red Notice

PTI, NEW DELHI, OCT 16, 2025 :  Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday suggested the creation of special prisons for fugitives in each state that meet international standards, and the cancellation of passports for those facing Interpol red notices to blunt their claims of mistreatment upon extradition and stop their free movement across borders.

Several fugitives, including Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Mehul Choksi, have raised the issue of "poor conditions" in Indian prisons to counter their extradition in foreign courts.

Inaugurating a conference on 'Extradition of Fugitives - Challenges and Strategies' organized by the CBI, Shah said, "Till the time we create fear for the Indian legal system in the minds of fugitives who are hurting the Indian economy, our sovereignty, and our security from abroad, we cannot ensure the security of the country."

India has 338 extradition requests pending with various countries to bring back fugitives wanted for financial crimes, terrorism, and narcotics smuggling, among others.

Shah suggested that the passports of fugitives could be red-flagged upon the issuance of an Interpol Red Notice against them. "It is not a difficult thing to do with the present technologies. When a red notice is issued, the passport should be cancelled to block the fugitive's international travel. If we can build this provision into the system, it will help bring back the fugitives," he said.

Giving his suggestions on actionable outputs to be deliberated during the two-day conference attended by all the state police chiefs, the Home Minister said a scientific database on fugitives should be developed and shared with all the states. This should include the type of crime committed by the offenders, their present location, their network in the country, and the status of repatriation attempts.

The Home Minister also asked every state to "create a special prison for fugitives, which should fulfill international standards," aimed at countering the fugitives' defense in foreign courts that their human rights will be violated if imprisoned in India, as the prisons do not meet international standards. "This is needed because fugitives argue in foreign courts that prisons in India are not up to the standards, that their human rights will not be protected. While I do not agree with that, if it is an excuse, why give them that chance? Every state capital should have a cell that conforms to international standards in its entirety," Shah said.

The Union Minister also suggested the creation of a coordination group for narco, terrorism, financial, and cyber criminals in each state police department, supported by the Intelligence Bureau and the CBI. Every state police should create a special expert cell for extradition matters, he added.