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Wife of Rs 88-crore fraud mastermind deported from UAE to face probe in India

Nearly two weeks after India secured the return of the mastermind behind an Rs 88-crore investment fraud, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has brought back his wife from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), tightening the net around one of Maharashtra's high-profile crime cases. Vishakha Rathod, who was wanted by Indian agencies and the subject of an Interpol Red Notice, was deported to India on August 3 following coordinated efforts by the CBI, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). She landed in Pune, where a team of the Maharashtra Police took her into custody. The CBI said Vishakha Rathod was traced and brought back through close coordination with authorities in the UAE after an Interpol Red Notice was issued against her at India's request. The CBI coordinated the operation with international agencies, while the MEA and MHA facilitated the diplomatic and legal process leading to her deportation. Vishakha Rathod's deportation follows the return of her husband, Avinash Rathod, who investigators describe as the alleged mastermind of the fraud. Acting on the notice, authorities in the UAE detained Avinash before deporting him to India on July 23. The case is the latest in India's broader drive to bring back economic offenders and fugitives who have escaped overseas. The agency acts as India's National Central Bureau for Interpol and facilitates international cooperation through the Bharatpol platform. The Centre informed Parliament earlier this week that India has successfully brought back 274 fugitive criminals from 36 countries between 2019 and July 2026 as part of an intensified campaign to ensure offenders who flee abroad are brought back to face justice.