Haryana STF eyes extradition of 10 gangsters operating overseas

Interpol, MEA, and foreign governments roped in; officials cite forged passports and fake IDs as hurdles in tracking fugitives abroad.

At least 10 gangsters and notorious criminals running syndicates from foreign countries are on the radar of Haryana Police’s special task force (STF) for deportation to India, officials said on Monday. Deportation requests are ready for some, while official communications have been sent to foreign governments in a few cases, according to STF officials.

Past extradition from Armenia, UAE, Thailand, and Cambodia show state’s push to dismantle overseas crime rackets aiding fugitives. (File photo)

Of these 10, two hail from Gurugram while the others are natives of different districts in Haryana. The list includes Lakhvinder Lakkha of Titram village (Kaithal), Sahil Ritoli of Ritoli village (Rohtak), Diler Kotiya of Pindoriya village (Karnal), Saurav Gadoli of Gadoli Khurd village, Sector 37, and Dinesh Gandhi of Shivaji Nagar (both Gurugram), Aman Bhainswal of Sadar Gohana (Sonipat), and Sushil alias Sheela of Panchhi Jattan village (Sonipat).

Two others were not named, with STF citing “diplomatic reasons.” The latest addition is Deepak Nandal, currently operating from London, whose activities in Gurugram allegedly spiked in the last two months, with links to two firing and murder cases.

According to STF, the 10 names together face 160 to 180 criminal cases in Gurugram, Haryana, Punjab, and Delhi, mostly involving murder, extortion, dacoity, robbery, and other heinous crimes. Officials said their operations span Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Punjab, western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan.

A senior STF officer said an extradition request had been sent for Sushil, after an input that he was detained in Dubai nine months ago. “Extradition requests have also been sent for Sahil and Diler to the US government. It is just the matter of time and proper diplomatic communication that they will get deported to India from the respective countries for being arrested,” he said.

Officials added they had earlier received information that Saurav was detained in the US five months ago, though his current status is unclear. “Right now it is unclear if he is still in a detention centre or has been set free,” an official said. Deportation processes are also ongoing for two more gangsters, one hiding in a Caucasus country in Europe and another in a Commonwealth country, according to STF.

Six deported in two years

STF officials said 11 gangsters have been deported or extradited in recent years, six of them in the last two years. Those deported include Naresh Narsi from Armenia; Kaushal Chaudhary and Vikash Lagarpuria from the UAE in August 2019 and December 2022; Raju Pasandi, Rohit Lauda and his leader Rajesh alias Kala Khairampuria from Thailand in February 2020 and July 2024; Joginder Gyong from the Philippines in February 2025; Kunal June from Kazakhstan in April 2025; and Mainpal Singh from Cambodia in September 2025.

Waseem Akram, superintendent of police (STF), said several months of “patient, continuous liaison with the central government and Interpol along with lots of paperworks and favourable court orders” were required to secure deportations. “In the time to come, some more deportations may take place from various countries as official developments are on the final legs,” he said.

A senior Haryana Police officer said deportation is smoother if gangsters flee using their original passports. “But if a gangster uses a passport issued on the basis of fraudulent documents with a changed identity, tracing the location of the hideout may take months,” the officer said. Sushil and Sahil were among those who fled on forged passports, he added. “Rajesh, Kunal, Mainpal also adopted the same method to flee.”

STF is also probing rackets in Gurugram, Delhi and other NCR regions that allegedly help criminals obtain fake passports, the officer said.