Ranchi- Jharkhand’s most wanted criminal, Sunil Kumar alias Sunil Kumar Meena alias Mayank Singh — accused of running an organised crime network from abroad — will soon be in state police custody. Arrested by Azerbaijani police last year, his extradition to India has now been approved.
According to Jharkhand Police Headquarters, Mayank Singh will be handed over to Indian authorities on August 22 and brought to India the following day.
The Ministry of External Affairs has already submitted the necessary documents to the Azerbaijan government to complete the extradition process.
For the past four to five years, Singh has allegedly instilled fear across Jharkhand, making extortion calls to businessmen, contractors, and mining officials in the name of gangster Aman Sahu’s gang. He often claimed responsibility for major incidents in the state via social media. Initially, police suspected the threats came from an unknown alias, but technical investigations revealed his true identity.
The Jharkhand Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) had earlier filed a chargesheet against him in a case registered under number 175/22 at Patratu (Bhadani Nagar) police station in Ramgarh district. A Red Corner Notice was subsequently issued, leading to his arrest in Baku, Azerbaijan, on October 29, 2024.
Following a request from the Jharkhand ATS, the CBI initiated extradition proceedings with the support of the Ministry of External Affairs.
On January 27 this year, an Azerbaijani court approved his extradition, expediting the process. The Centre later granted political clearance and issued passports for police officers assigned to bring him back.
A team led by ATS Superintendent of Police Rishabh Jha will travel to Azerbaijan to escort him to Jharkhand.
Authorities believe his interrogation could provide crucial leads to solving several pending criminal cases in the state.
With inputs from IANS