Bank of Baroda Fraud Case: Wanted Fugitive Munawar Khan Extradited from Kuwait, CBI Takes Custody

Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday brought back fugitive Munawar Khan from Kuwait for his role in Bank of Baroda fraud case after coordinating with Interpol, Kuwaiti police and MEA. Khan faces further investigation for forgery and cheating.

In a major success, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has brought back Munawar Khan, a fugitive wanted in connection with a large-scale fraud case involving the Bank of Baroda. Khan was arrested by Kuwaiti authorities and extradited to India through strong coordination between the CBI, Interpol, and Kuwaiti law enforcement agencies.

Charges against fugitive Munawar Khan

Munawar Khan was accused of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery, which involved defrauding the Bank of Baroda. After the fraud came to light, Khan fled India and moved to Kuwait, where he remained until recently. Due to his involvement in this serious financial crime, the CBI declared him a proclaimed offender and initiated international efforts to bring him back.

How CBI nabbed Munawar Khan

The process began when the CBI's International Police Cooperation Unit (IPCU) tracked Khan's location in Kuwait. A Red Notice was issued against him by Interpol on February 7, 2022, at the request of the CBI’s Special Technical Branch (STB) in Chennai. Red Notices are globally circulated alerts used by Interpol to help track and arrest wanted criminals.

After confirming Khan's location in Kuwait, the CBI worked closely with the National Central Bureau (NCB) in Kuwait, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and other Kuwaiti authorities. Following successful negotiations and legal processes, the Kuwaiti police arrested Munawar Khan and agreed to extradite him to India.

On September 11, 2025, Munawar Khan arrived at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. He was escorted by the Kuwait Police and handed over into the custody of the CBI team from the STB, Chennai. The CBI has now begun further investigations into the Bank of Baroda fraud case.

The operation was successful due to the efficiency of international cooperation in fighting financial crime. The CBI, as the National Central Bureau for Interpol in India, works through BHARATPOL, a network of Indian law enforcement agencies connected with Interpol channels. This helps Indian authorities track and extradite criminals hiding abroad.

Over 130 wanted criminals brought to India in past few years

Over the last few years, the CBI has successfully brought back more than 130 wanted criminals to India through coordination with Interpol. The agency emphasizes its commitment to ensuring that economic offenders and serious criminals face justice, even if they flee abroad.

This is not the first recent success for the CBI in extraditing fugitives. Just a few days earlier, on September 5, the agency, in collaboration with the Gujarat Police, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Ministry of Home Affairs, coordinated the return of another fugitive, Harshit Babulal Jain, from the United Arab Emirates. Jain was wanted for tax evasion, illegal gambling, and money laundering.

These successful extraditions highlight the growing efficiency of India's efforts to track economic offenders internationally. It sends a clear message that criminals attempting to escape justice by moving abroad will be relentlessly pursued and brought back to face the law.

The Bank of Baroda fraud case, which involved cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy, had significant financial implications. Munawar Khan’s return is expected to accelerate the investigation, help the CBI uncover more details, and possibly lead to the identification of other accomplices involved in the scam.

(With ANI inputs)