Fugitive wanted for murder in India caught trying to sneak into Canada from U.S.
A fugitive wanted for murder in India who tried to sneak into Canada on Sunday has been caught by U.S. border guards.
Vishat Kumar, 22, was allegedly concealing his identity with a fake name and date of birth when he attempted to cross the Peace Bridge from Buffalo, N.Y., across the Niagara River into Ontario.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers say Kumar is the subject of an Interpol red notice issued by India, which seeks his arrest for murder.
Denied entry into Canada, Kumar’s true identity was allegedly discovered on a secondary inspection through the use of biometrics.
Biometrics refers to unique physical measurements of people for security purposes, most commonly fingerprints but also facial measurements and iris scans.
The CBP office in Buffalo said Kumar had illegally entered the U.S. last year and failed to attend an asylum interview. After he was denied entry to Canada this week, he was handed over to officers of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
He is being held in a federal facility in Batavia, N.Y., in advance of removal proceedings to India.
An Interpol red notice is an alert issued by a member country of Interpol, an international organization that connects member police forces. It typically describes a fugitive suspect wanted for a major crime such as murder, rape, child abuse or armed robbery.
It is not a warrant, and Interpol has no enforcement powers of its own, so it remains the decision of individual police organizations whether to enforce it according to domestic law.
America and India have an extradition treaty, but an Interpol red notice is a police alert, not a diplomatic request. The deportation of a foreign national who is in the United States illegally back to their home country does not require extradition proceedings in court. The extradition treaty, however, requires that “all requests for extradition shall be submitted through the diplomatic channel.” The CBP does not mention in its press release whether Kumar has legal counsel.
No details were available on the murder for which he is allegedly wanted by India.
“The apprehension of this individual demonstrates the critical role our officers play in safeguarding our nation and working collaboratively with international partners to uphold justice,” said Acting Area Port Director Sharon Swiatek, in a prepared statement.
“This arrest highlights our commitment to ensuring that those who attempt to evade accountability for serious crimes are identified and brought to justice. I commend our officers for their vigilance and dedication to the mission,” Swiatek said.
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