A notorious criminal wanted by Haryana Police, Mainpal Dhilla, was arrested after he was extradited from Cambodia in an operation coordinated by the CBI in collaboration with the State police, Union Home Ministry and External Affairs Ministry, officials said on Wednesday.
According to police, Mainpal of Village Badli, District Jhajjar (Haryana), was one of the most wanted fugitives with a `5 lakh reward on his head. He was convicted in multiple cases of murder, attempt to murder, robbery, dacoity and criminal intimidation and had been sentenced to life imprisonment in three separate cases registered in Jhajjar district.
Mainpal had been serving his sentence in Hisar Central Jail when he was granted six weeks’ parole on July 17, 2018. However, he failed to return, prompting registration of a case under the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners Act and subsequent proclamation as an absconder by a Bahadurgarh court in October 2019.
Investigations revealed that in 2019, the fugitive managed to fraudulently obtain an Indian passport in the name of “Sonu Kumar” from Gurugram using forged documents. Using this passport, he fled to Bangkok via Kolkata Airport and later moved to Cambodia, where he settled in Siem Reap.
Police said Mainpal operated a nightclub there and lived with his Cambodian partner, with whom he fathered three children. He was also reported to have travelled to Mauritius and Indonesia during this period.
The Special Task Force (STF) of Haryana Police, in coordination with Interpol, CBI and the Ministry of External Affairs, shared intelligence with Cambodian authorities and established his true identity. Following sustained diplomatic efforts, Cambodian authorities agreed to deport him.
A police team led by Waseem Akram, IPS, along with DSP Madan Singh and SI Sandeep Kumar, travelled to Phnom Penh and took custody of the fugitive. He was flown back and arrested at Delhi Airport on September 2, 2025.
On his return, Mainpal was arrested in connection with the fraudulent passport case registered in Gurugram and will also be required to serve his pending life sentences.
“This successful deportation demonstrates the Haryana Police’s resolve in bringing hardened criminals to justice. We urge citizens to extend their cooperation by sharing timely information about such fugitives,” the police said in a statement.A notorious criminal wanted by Haryana Police, Mainpal Dhilla, was arrested