In a major breakthrough, the Central Bureau of Investigation, along with support from the Haryana Police, the Union Home Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), has arrested notorious criminal Mainpal Dhilla alias Maipal Badli after he was extradited from Cambodia, said officials on Wednesday.
Who is Mainpal Dhilla?
Dhilla, who also goes by the name Sonu Kumar, was convicted on April 29, 2013, for the offence of murder, attempt to murder, illegal use of firearms and criminal conspiracy. For this, Dhilla, who was also previously convicted in two more cases, was sentenced to life imprisonment.
While he was serving a sentence in jail, he was released on six weeks' parole from Hisar Central Jail on July 17, 2018, but he did not report back to jail and absconded. Later, he fled the country using a fake identity.
How was Mainpal Dhilla caught?
On November 6, 2024, a Red Notice was issued against him by the CBI, after which the central probe agency contacted the National Central Bureau (NCB) of Bangkok, which traced his movement from Thailand to Cambodia. The CBI immediately contacted the NCB-Phnom Penh, following which a team of Haryana Police went to Cambodia and brought back Dhilla on Tuesday.
"A request for Provisional Arrest was sent to NCB-Phnom Penh, Cambodia through INTERPOL channels on March 25, 2025. NCB-Phnom Penh on July 24, 2025, conveyed the arrest of the subject and requested for Extradition Request through diplomatic channels. Cambodian authorities later intimated that they had decided to hand over the subject to Indian authorities," the CBI said in a statement.
"Red Notices published by INTERPOL are circulated to all the Law Enforcement Agencies globally for tracking of the wanted Criminals," it said, "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 last few years through coordination via INTERPOL channels."
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