The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018

The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act was enacted in 2018.

The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act aims to prevent economic offenses, ensure the return of fugitives to India, and confiscate the assets of economic offenders.

Under the Act, a fugitive economic offender is an individual who flees the country to avoid prosecution, fails to appear before a court, or conceals or transfers assets to evade prosecution.

Fugitive economic offenders face consequences such as confiscation of assets, revocation of passport, freezing of bank accounts, and other restrictions.

The Adjudicating Authority is responsible for determining whether an individual is a fugitive economic offender, ordering the confiscation of assets, issuing arrest warrants, and taking other necessary actions.

Fugitive economic offenders can challenge the order of the Adjudicating Authority by filing an appeal to the appropriate appellate authority.

The Central Government is responsible for notifying the names of fugitive economic offenders, coordinating with foreign governments for extradition, managing confiscated assets, and taking other necessary steps to implement the Act.

The Central Government can withdraw the tag of fugitive economic offender from an individual if certain conditions are met, such as the individual returning to India and facing trial.

The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act is significant as it strengthens India's efforts to combat economic offenses, facilitates the return of fugitives, and helps in recovering the proceeds of economic offenses.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), and National Investigation Agency (NIA) are responsible for investigating economic offenses under the Act.

The minimum value of the proceeds of crime required for an offense to be considered a scheduled offense under the Act is ₹100 crore.

Offenses under The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act are tried by Special Courts designated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

The punishment for offenses under The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act is imprisonment for a term not less than 10 years and fine.

Bail is not allowed for persons convicted under The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act.

The Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) is responsible for collecting and analyzing intelligence related to economic offenses, assisting in the investigation of economic offenses, and coordinating with foreign agencies for the extradition of fugitives.