Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala police have moved to nab 455 people, including over 100 women, who had fled to foreign countries after being charged with crimes in the state.
The help of Interpol will be sought to trace 250 of them and Red Corner notice will be issued in this regard.
This is the first time that the state police is making such an organised effort to seize so many fugitives at the same time and bring them to face the law.
The formalities in this regard are expected to be over in two months.
The Crime Branch of the state police initiated the move as per orders from Director General of Police (DGP) Loknath Behera, after it was pointed out in a review that several cases that the local police and the crime branch are probing have been stalled because the accused have escaped abroad.
The DGP asked Inspector General Sreejith, nodal officer for Interpol in Kerala police, to bring the fugitives home swiftly.
The Crime Branch, in turn, has asked district police chiefs to furnish data on accused persons from each district who are hanging on in foreign countries.
The data showed that 455 persons charged in criminal cases have left the country, including many from cases as old as 2008.
The maximum number is from Kasaragod district. At the same time, the Crime Branch says the count may not be accurate and that more accused persons might have taken shelter abroad.
It was also found that some officers had ignored information from complainants that the accused have fled the country.
The state police have information as to where exactly more than 200 of the fugitives are. The assistance of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will be sought to bring them back from 39 countries with which India has extradition treaties.
There will also be an effort to take out accused persons from countries with whom India has mutual legal assistance agreements.
Proceedings are on to send warrants to those countries from Kerala courts through Interpol to collect details about such fugitives. The Red Corner notice is to be issued through the Interpol section of the CBI for the remaining 250 accused persons.
The notices will be issued for them in 181 countries, and they will appear at airports, ports and border roads there. The Crime Branch will train officers to complete the formalities.
A review of such cases was held the other day in Thiruvananthapuram Range. Other Ranges will do it in the coming days.
Most of the 100-plus women absconders are charged with economic offences. Some are accused of criminal plots.
