State nod for cop team to visit Azerbaijan, bring back criminal

Ranchi: A police team headed by ATS SP Rishav Jha will travel to Azerbaijan to extradite Sunil Meena, a key member of the Aman Sahu crime syndicate, following chief minister Hemant Soren's approval. The Union govt's clearance of the state proposal in this regard is currently pending. Last month, an Azerbaijani extradition court ordered Meena's transfer to India under the bilateral extradition treaty between the two nations. Meena, who was subject to a lookout notice in June 2024 and had previous connections with the gangster Lawrence Bishnoi , was arrested in Datu, Azerbaijan, on October 29, 2024. His arrest followed the CBI's request for a red corner notice through Interpol in September 2024. tnn

The criminal, who operated under the alias Mayank Singh, primarily made internet calls to extort money for the Aman Sahu gang. The gang is notorious for extortion, murder and other criminal activities across Jharkhand. Intelligence reports also indicated Meena had previous connections with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

The successful extradition will mark a significant breakthrough in curbing organised crime in Jharkhand as law enforcement agencies continue their crackdown on criminal syndicates operating in the region.