UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — HC rejects Sanjay Bhandari’s plea against ‘fugitive’ tag

Q1. With reference to the provisions of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. A person can be declared a Fugitive Economic Offender only if the value of the offence for which an arrest warrant is issued is at least Rs 100 crore.
  2. Applications for declaring a person a Fugitive Economic Offender are filed before a Special Court designated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
  3. On confiscation, the property of a Fugitive Economic Offender vests in the Central Government free of all encumbrances.
  4. Where the Director provisionally attaches property without prior permission of the Special Court, an application must be filed before the Court within 90 days.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 1 and 4

Q2. As enumerated in the Schedule to the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, how many categories of economic offences are listed?

  • A. 25
  • B. 40
  • C. 55
  • D. 70

Q3. The Special Court that entertains an application to declare a person a Fugitive Economic Offender is designated under which one of the following laws?

  • A. The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018
  • B. The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002
  • C. The Extradition Act, 1962
  • D. The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973

Q4. With reference to how India deals with economic offenders who flee abroad, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Extradition of fugitives from foreign states to India is governed by the Extradition Act, 1962.
  2. In money-laundering cases, the Enforcement Directorate is the agency that files applications to have a person declared a Fugitive Economic Offender.
  3. Proceedings to declare a person a Fugitive Economic Offender are civil proceedings directed against property (in rem).
  4. Extradition requests to foreign governments are processed and pursued by the Reserve Bank of India.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q5. Comparing the cases of Vijay Mallya and Sanjay Bhandari under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Vijay Mallya was the first person to be declared a Fugitive Economic Offender, in January 2019.
  2. Unlike Mallya, Sanjay Bhandari was declared a Fugitive Economic Offender on a plea filed by the Income Tax Department rather than the Enforcement Directorate.
  3. Both Vijay Mallya and Sanjay Bhandari had fled to the United Kingdom.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. According to government data, as of 31 October 2025, how many individuals had been declared Fugitive Economic Offenders under the FEOA, 2018?

  • A. 11
  • B. 13
  • C. 15
  • D. 17

Q7. With reference to the Sanjay Bhandari fugitive-economic-offender case, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Bhandari fled to London in 2016, soon after the Income Tax Department raided his Delhi premises.
  2. A Delhi trial court declared him a Fugitive Economic Offender on 5 July 2025.
  3. A U.K. court had earlier denied his extradition to India, citing conditions in Tihar Jail.
  4. In April 2026, the Delhi High Court set aside the trial court's declaration and quashed the Fugitive Economic Offender tag.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 1 and 4

Q8. Which one of the following was the lead agency whose application resulted in Sanjay Bhandari being declared a Fugitive Economic Offender?

  • A. The Central Bureau of Investigation
  • B. The Enforcement Directorate
  • C. The Income Tax Department
  • D. The Serious Fraud Investigation Office

Q9. The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) functions administratively under which one of the following?

  • A. Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance
  • B. Ministry of Home Affairs
  • C. Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance
  • D. Ministry of Corporate Affairs

Q10. With reference to the statutory mandate of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The ED enforces the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
  2. The ED enforces the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999.
  3. The ED enforces the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018.
  4. The ED is the designated authority to adjudicate extradition proceedings under the Extradition Act, 1962.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1, 3 and 4
  • C. 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q11. Regarding the judicial handling of Fugitive Economic Offender matters, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A declaration that a person is a Fugitive Economic Offender is made by a Special Court designated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
  2. An order of the Special Court under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 can be challenged by way of appeal before the High Court.
  3. In the Sanjay Bhandari case, the High Court concerned exercised such jurisdiction and dealt with his challenge to the Fugitive Economic Offender declaration.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q12. With reference to the legislative origins of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The law was first brought into force through an Ordinance promulgated in 2018 before being enacted by Parliament.
  2. The legislation was framed against the backdrop of high-profile bank-fraud cases involving individuals such as Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.
  3. The Act empowers confiscation of a fugitive's property located both within India and abroad.
  4. The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 was enacted as an amendment to the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 3 and 4
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4