Fugitive fraudster Jagdish Punetha extradited from Dubai

A fugitive fraudster wanted for allegedly defrauding people of millions of rupees through fake investment schemes has been extradited from the United Arab Emirates, police said.

Additional Director General of Police (Crime, Law and Order) V Murugesan said on Friday, November 14, 2025, that the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) branch of the Uttarakhand Police successfully brought fraudster Jagdish Punetha to India on November 13.

Mr. Punetha, who carries a reward of ₹ 50,000 on his head, has four cases registered against him in Pithoragarh district for allegedly defrauding people of millions of rupees through fake investment schemes, forming an organized gang for illegal financial gain and being involved in other criminal cases.

According to a police investigation, Mr. Punetha and his associates allegedly committed a fraud worth about 15.17 billion rupees and illegally acquired movable and immovable assets worth 2.22 billion rupees.

A case was registered against Punetha on January 16, 2023. Punetha is facing charges under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 506 (criminal threat), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and Gangsters Act, among others.

According to information received from Pithoragarh police, it has been confirmed that Mr. Punetha is hiding in Dubai. The CB-CID then coordinated with Interpol through the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and issued a Red Corner Notice against him, which led to his arrest in Dubai, police said.

They said a three-member team led by an additional superintendent of police, Dehradun Sector, CB-CID, went to Dubai and brought Mr. Punetha to India.