(Image source from: Odisha Sun Times)

There are 24 Indians living abroad who are involved in financial irregularities with banks and are under criminal probe in Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) cases for the last three years, the Indian government informed Parliament on Thursday.

In a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, V Muralee Dharan, the Minister of State for External Affairs said according to the Directorate of Enforcement, there were 28 individuals who were accused in criminal cases being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and who were either residing abroad or had left the country before initiation of investigation by the agency.

Nirav Modi, who is living abroad, was under a criminal investigation by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), he added.

Citing information provided by the CBI, the minister said the number of Indians living abroad, who were involved in financial irregularities with banks, who fled the country and were facing a criminal investigation in CBI cases for the past three years, was 24.

He said according to the CBI, efforts were being made to secure the presence of these accused in the country by way of issuance of extradition requests.

In the past three years, in respect of five accused, extradition requests were issued for being involved in financial irregularities with banks in CBI cases registered from January 1, 2016, to May 31 this year, the minister said.

Citing the enforcement directorate, the minister said necessary action had been initiated for bringing these persons back to India.

The minister said Red Corner Notices (RCNs) against 25 persons and extradition requests for 14 persons were issued, action under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEOA) was initiated against seven persons and three persons facing charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) were brought back to India in the said period.

As per the procedure, according to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, an application for fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's extradition was forwarded to the Ahmedabad Customs Commissioner for filing the same in a court in Surat, he added.