On July 17, 2018, the Hisar Division Commissioner granted Mainpal Badli a six‑week parole, expecting him to return by August 29. Instead, he vanished, prompting a Haryana Police case under the Good Conduct Prisoners Act and a Rs 5 lakh reward for his capture.
Investigations revealed he forged a passport under the name Sonu Kumar, fabricating a Gurugram address to slip out of India. He boarded a flight from Kolkata on July 7, 2019, heading first to Bangkok and then to Siem Reap, Cambodia.
In Cambodia, Badli settled in Siem Reap, purchased a house with a partner, and opened a disco called Kontiai and a restaurant named Angkor. He married Chen Meta, had three children, and lived there for six years while Indian authorities pursued him.
In July 2025, the CBI, with support from state police and the Ministries of Home and External Affairs, executed a coordinated extradition. Badli was arrested after his visa renewal, his true identity uncovered, and he was flown back to India.
He faces 24 criminal cases, including murder, robbery, and assault on police. The extradition underscores India’s tightening grip on fugitives and signals a new benchmark for cross‑border law enforcement, with the next step being his transfer to Hisar Central Jail for trial.