Chandigarh: Wanted gangster Venkatesh Garg was extradited from Georgia to India on Thursday following a coordinated operation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and the Haryana Police.
Garg is wanted in several cases registered with both the Haryana Police and Delhi Police, including murder, attempted murder, extortion, organised crime, and illegal use of firearms, as reported by The New Indian Express.
He had been arrested earlier during an investigation but obtained bail and then absconded, fleeing India to evade legal action.
To track him down, the Haryana Police approached the National Central Bureau (NCB)-New Delhi, which used INTERPOL channels to issue a Red Notice against the fugitive.
Georgian authorities later located and arrested Garg, after which an extradition request was filed. Following due legal procedures, Georgia approved his extradition to India.
Cooperating with Georgian officials, a Haryana Police team went to Georgia where Garg was formally handed over. The team, with the accused, arrived in Delhi on Thursday.
Garg, a resident of Naringarh in Ambala district, Haryana, is said to have ties with imprisoned gangster Lawrance Bishnoi. He gained attention last year after allegedly killing BSP leader Harbilas Rajjumajra in February, reportedly due to a personal feud.
“Once he is interrogated, further details of his network and involvement in the crime syndicate will come out,” said an official. The CBI, serving as India’s National Central Bureau for INTERPOL, coordinates with domestic police forces via the BHARATPOL network.
This high-profile extradition marks another success for the agency, which has facilitated the return of more than 160 wanted criminals to India through international channels in recent years.
