India requests US to deport man who fled despite Supreme Court holding his passport

Manish Chhokar, a US Green Card holder, is accused of leaving India in January 2025 despite his Indian passport being lodged with the Supreme Court as part of contempt proceedings stemming from a child-custody settlement. The court issued a non-bailable warrant and directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to determine how he escaped. The CBI’s National Central Bureau in New Delhi wrote to the FBI on September 30, 2026, requesting his deportation, and a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs followed on October 13.

Earlier, the government had explored extradition but concluded that contempt alone was not extraditable, opting instead to seek assistance through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and to cancel Chhokar’s passport. On July 20, 2026, Chhokar’s counsel said he could not travel to India, prompting the passport cancellation and an October 15 order to pursue deportation. The Supreme Court adjourned the matter for four weeks, expressing satisfaction with the steps taken by the Union of India.