A most wanted criminal from Haryana, Mainpal Dhilla, was extradited from Cambodia to India in a joint operation carried out by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Haryana Police, the Union Home Ministry, and the Ministry of External Affairs. Dhilla, also known as Mainpal Badli and Sonu Kumar, had been on the run since 2018 after he jumped parole. He was wanted in multiple serious criminal cases, including murder and illegal possession of firearms.
Dhilla had a long history of violent crimes and was a well-known name in Haryana’s crime records. He had been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in a case registered in Bahadurgarh. His convictions included charges of murder, attempted murder, use of illegal firearms, and criminal conspiracy. Along with this, he was also found guilty in two other criminal cases.
While serving his life sentence at Hisar Central Jail, he was given parole on July 17, 2018, for six weeks. He was expected to return to prison in August after completing his parole. However, instead of going back, Dhilla chose to abscond. He disappeared and later used fake identities to move around different countries. Reports also claim that he committed another murder while serving his jail term, which further added to his notoriety.
The escape embarrassed the prison system and the state police. Since then, efforts had been on to trace him, but he managed to stay out of reach by using false travel documents and shifting locations. For years, he remained one of the most wanted criminals of Haryana.
The turning point came in November 2024, when the CBI, on the request of Haryana Police, issued a Red Notice against Dhilla through Interpol. This Red Notice was crucial, as it alerted other countries’ security agencies to track and help locate him.
Investigations later showed that Dhilla had traveled from Thailand to Cambodia under a fake name. He was using a forged passport with the name Sonu Kumar, which he used to move around and hide his real identity.
The CBI contacted the National Central Bureau (NCB) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in March 2025. They requested a provisional arrest of Dhilla through Interpol’s official channels. By July 24, 2025, Cambodian authorities confirmed that they had arrested him and asked India to submit a formal extradition request through diplomatic channels.
The Indian government quickly acted, and Cambodian officials later informed that they had approved his extradition. This decision paved the way for Indian authorities to bring him back.
A team from Haryana Police traveled to Cambodia to complete the extradition process. On Tuesday, Dhilla was handed over and safely brought back to India, ending his years of evasion.
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The successful extradition of Dhilla highlights India’s growing use of international cooperation to bring back fugitives hiding abroad. It also shows the coordination between various agencies such as the CBI, state police, and ministries in handling sensitive criminal cases.
For Haryana Police, Dhilla’s return is a major success as he was considered one of their most wanted criminals. His capture also restores some confidence in the system, which had earlier faced criticism for allowing such a dangerous criminal to escape on parole.
Authorities are now expected to investigate further into how he managed to flee the country in 2018, who helped him in arranging fake documents, and whether he had any links with criminal groups abroad. His re-arrest may also provide leads in unsolved crimes.
The extradition also sends a strong message to other fugitives that absconding from Indian law will not guarantee safety abroad. With the help of Interpol and international partners, Indian agencies have been increasingly active in tracking criminals hiding in foreign countries.
For the families of victims in the cases against Dhilla, his return means they can finally expect justice to be completed. Many of these cases had stalled due to his absence, and his presence will now allow courts to proceed with pending trials.
For law enforcement agencies, this operation stands as proof of how coordinated efforts can lead to success, even in cases where the fugitive has escaped for several years. It will also strengthen the cooperation between Indian agencies and their counterparts in Southeast Asia.
The extradition of Mainpal Dhilla from Cambodia marks the end of a long chase that lasted for seven years. From being a life convict who misused parole to becoming an international fugitive, Dhilla managed to stay away from Indian authorities for years. However, coordinated efforts between CBI, Haryana Police, and foreign agencies ensured that he could not escape forever.
With Dhilla now back in India, law enforcement will focus on securing his imprisonment and ensuring that justice is served. His case stands as an important example of how persistence and international cooperation can help bring dangerous criminals back to face the law.
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