VOI World/ Desk
Haryana’s most wanted gangster, Mainpal Badli – also known as “Dheela” – has been deported to India after spending seven years in hiding abroad. Sentenced to life for three murders and facing 22 criminal charges, he escaped on parole in 2018 and fled using a fake passport under the alias “Sonu Kumar,” carrying a hefty ₹1.1 crore.
Badli lived in Cambodia’s Siem Reap as a disco owner, learned Khmer, started a family, and even applied for citizenship, blending seamlessly into local life.
A coordinated operation involving India’s Haryana STF, Interpol, MEA, and the CBI led to his arrest in Phnom Penh. An STF team led by IPS officer Wasim Akhtar brought him home; on September 2, he arrived in Delhi and was formally taken into custody.
Badli’s extraordinary evasion—from parole to nightclub owner abroad—highlights gaps in international fugitive tracking and the need for stricter oversight. His return marks a major win for cross-border law enforcement and ongoing justice efforts in India.
