The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEOA) emerged from a pressing necessity to combat the exodus of high-profile economic offenders who exploited legal lacunae to escape Indian jurisdiction. In a globalised financial ecosystem increasingly prone to complex frauds, the Act stands as a pivotal legislative initiative aimed at reining in wilful defaulters and economic fugitives. This article provides a critical exposition of the FEOA, examining its key provisions, judicial responses, and landmark cases such as those involving Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Mehul Choksi. It also analyses the constitutional challenges, the judiciary’s interpretative stance, and recent developments in international cooperation and enforcement. In recent years, India has witnessed an alarming proliferation of economic offences involving colossal sums of money, most notably orchestrated by politically connected industrialists and financial elites. The exodus of offenders like Vijay [Read More]

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