The CBI has achieved a major success by finally apprehending Monika Kapoor, an accused who had been absconding for nearly 23 years. Monika Kapoor is being extradited from the United States to India.
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has achieved a major breakthrough after 23 years. Monika Kapoor, the main accused in the infamous import-export scam of 2002, has been extradited from the United States to India. This operation was completed on July 9, 2025, when a special CBI team brought her to India in coordination with US agencies.
Monika Kapoor had been evading the law for years, but now she will face investigation and court proceedings in India. Let's find out who Monika Kapoor is, how the gold scam worth crores was committed, and how she was finally apprehended.
Who is Monika Kapoor?
Monika Kapoor was the proprietor of a trading company named Monika Overseas. Along with her two brothers, Rajan Khanna and Rajiv Khanna, she orchestrated a major scam in the import-export sector in 1998 through the use of forged documents. Their company obtained 6 Replenishment Licenses by creating fake shipping bills, invoices, and bank certificates.
Based on these licenses, they imported duty-free gold worth a total of Rs 2.36 crore, and later sold these licenses to a company called Deep Exports in Ahmedabad at a premium. Deep Exports used these licenses to import gold, resulting in a direct loss of approximately Rs 1.44 crore to the government.
CBI Investigation and Court Proceedings
After a thorough investigation by the CBI, a charge sheet was filed against Monika Kapoor and her brothers on March 31, 2004, under sections 120-B (conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery with intent to cheat), and 471 (using forged documents) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
While Rajan and Rajiv Khanna were convicted by the Saket Court in Delhi on December 20, 2017, Monika Kapoor continuously evaded investigation and court proceedings. The court declared her a Proclaimed Offender on February 13, 2006, and later issued a Red Corner Notice through Interpol in 2010.
The Long Extradition Process
The CBI sent a formal extradition request to the United States for Monika Kapoor in 2010. It took a long time to balance the US judicial process and the legal request from India. However, due to the continuous efforts of the CBI, coordination with US law enforcement agencies, and pressure through Interpol, the extradition was finally made possible in 2025.
A special CBI team went to the United States and took Monika Kapoor into custody, bringing her to India. She was taken into custody at Delhi Airport on July 9, 2025.
