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UAE deports Indian fugitive Vishakha Rathod over Rs 88 cr fraud
24htopnews | August 5, 2026 5:42 PM CST

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has deported Indian fugitive Vishakha Rathod to India in connection with an alleged Rs 88-crore investment fraud case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said.

In a statement shared on X on Wednesday, August 5, the CBI said Rathod was deported from the UAE on Monday, August 3, in an operation coordinated with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). She arrived in Pune the same day and was taken into custody by the Maharashtra Police.

According to investigators, Rathod and her husband, Avinash Rathod, are accused of orchestrating an alleged Rs 88-crore investment fraud. The couple, along with their associates, allegedly persuaded investors to invest in multiple schemes by promising assured fixed monthly returns before siphoning off the money through several bank and demat accounts.

The CBI said INTERPOL had issued Red Notices against both Vishakha and Avinash Rathod on June 4, 2026, paving the way for international cooperation in locating and returning the accused.

Avinash Rathod was detained by authorities in the UAE and extradited to India on July 23. On his arrival at Mumbai International Airport, he was arrested by the Pune Police’s Economic Offences Wing and taken to Pune. A court subsequently remanded him to 10 days of police custody. Investigators believe he was the mastermind behind the alleged fraud.

The agency said Vishakha Rathod’s deportation was coordinated through INTERPOL channels as part of its role as India’s National Central Bureau for INTERPOL. It added that the BHARATPOL platform facilitates coordination between Indian law enforcement agencies and their international counterparts.

On Tuesday, August 4, the central government informed Parliament that India had secured the return of 274 fugitive criminals from 36 countries between 2019 and July 2026 as part of an intensified effort to bring offenders evading Indian law while residing abroad to justice.


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