Extradition Portal Launched; 288 Fugitives Brought Back Since 2019 – 29 September 2026

What happened

At the PRAHAAR CT conference on 28 September 2026, Home Minister Amit Shah launched a new Extradition Portal intended to coordinate and speed up efforts to bring fugitives back to India. He urged State police forces to form dedicated teams for fugitive tracking in coordination with Central agencies.

Shah said that between 2019 and 2026, the government had brought back 288 fugitive criminals to India from 36 countries.

Background

Extradition from India is governed by the Extradition Act, 1962 and bilateral/multilateral treaties. Operational delays often arise from incomplete documentation, dual criminality issues and weak State–Centre coordination. A dedicated portal and State teams aim to reduce those lags.

Why it matters for exams

• Extradition Act, 1962 and MLATs appear in polity and internal security
• Numbers (288 fugitives, 36 countries) are high-yield static facts from this announcement
• Connects to red-corner notices / Interpol cooperation themes

Key facts for exams

• Portal purpose: coordinate and expedite return of fugitives
• Figure cited: 288 fugitives from 36 countries (2019–2026)
• Ask to States: dedicated fugitive-tracking teams

Practice MCQs

1. As cited at the September 2026 PRAHAAR conference, how many fugitives were brought back to India between 2019 and 2026?

   (A) 128
   (B) 200
   (C) 288
   (D) 360

   Answer: (C) – 288 fugitives from 36 countries.

2. India’s principal domestic law on extradition is the:

   (A) Extradition Act, 1962
   (B) UAPA, 1967 only
   (C) CrPC, 1973 only
   (D) Passport Act, 1967 only

   Answer: (A) – Extradition Act, 1962.

3. The Extradition Portal launched in September 2026 was announced by:

   (A) Ministry of External Affairs alone
   (B) Union Home Minister at the PRAHAAR conference
   (C) Supreme Court Collegium
   (D) NITI Aayog

   Answer: (B) – Announced by Amit Shah at the CT conference.

Source: Indian Express / The Hindu reports on the PRAHAAR conference, 28–29 September 2026.