Question : Look-out Notices against Individuals

(a) whether look-out notices against individuals involved in economic offences are being diluted since 2014 and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the list of all persons against whom look-out notices have been diluted/withdrawn since 2014 in relation to economic offences or allegations and the current status of notices thereof;

(c) the list of all persons against whom look-out notices were/have been issued since 2014 in relation to economic offences or allegations and the current status of notices thereof; and

(d) the steps being taken by the Government to bring fugitive offenders to justice and the efforts being made to extradite them?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI NITYANAND RAI)

(a) to (c): In accordance with the existing instructions, Look Out Circular(LOC) can be modified/deleted/withdrawn by the Bureau of Immigration (BoI) only on the specific request of the authorized originator on whose request the LOC was issued by BoI. The LOCs for various reasons/offences are initiated /originated by a large number of authorized officers which includes an officer not below the rank of Deputy Secretary to the Govt. of India; or an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary in the State Government; or District

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LS.US.Q.NO. 1892 FOR 03.03.2020
Magistrate; or Superintendent of Police; or designated officers of various law enforcing and security agencies; or designated officer of Interpol; or an officer not below the rank of Additional Director in SFIO, Ministry of Corporate Affairs or an officer not below the rank of Chairman /Managing Director/chief Executive of any Public Sector Bank or as per directions of any criminal Court in India. Data relating to LOC in respect of economic offences is not maintained separately.

(d) The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEO Act) has been enacted which, inter-alia, provides for expeditious confiscation of proceeds of crime and properties or benami property owned by a fugitive economic offender in India or abroad with a view to make him submit to the jurisdiction of Courts in India. The FEO Act is aimed at ensuring that persons accused of high value economic offences do not continue to evade the legal process of India by hiding abroad.
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