From Fugitive To Mogul: How A Haryana Gangster Restarted Life In Cambodia

In July 2018, a convicted murderer walked out of a Haryana jail on a six-week parole and never returned. Using a fake passport to cross international borders, he eventually settled in Cambodia, where he didn't just hide but bought a home, fathered three children, and built a business empire, owning a disco and a restaurant.

Mainpal Badli, also known as "Dhilla," hails from Badli village in Haryana's Jhajjar district and is listed in police records as a high-profile criminal. According to police, serious charges have been registered against him, including murder, attempted murder, robbery, dacoity, criminal intimidation, and assaulting police officers. One police record lists 24 distinct criminal cases against him, while another report cites 22 cases with convictions in three.

Granted Parole, Then Failed to Return

Mainpal was serving a life sentence for murder at Hisar Central Jail when he was granted a six-week parole on July 17, 2018, by order of the Commissioner of the Hisar Division and the District Magistrate of Jhajjar.

Under the order, he was required to return to Hisar Jail by August 29. However, Mainpal failed to surrender, prompting authorities to register a case against him under Sections 8 and 9 of the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners Act.

As the search intensified, the Haryana Police announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for information leading to his arrest. Despite these efforts, Mainpal managed to escape the country.

Escaped Using a Fake Identity

According to police and intelligence reports, Mainpal obtained a passport under the alias Sonu Kumar, claiming to be a resident of Gurugram. An investigation later revealed that the Gurugram address was fake, leading to an FIR and additional charges under the Passport Act.

After securing the fake passport, Mainpal left India. On July 7, 2019, he departed from Kolkata Airport for Bangkok. According to Mainpal, he stayed in Thailand for about 20 to 22 days and travelled to Cambodia.

During questioning, Mainpal recounted his time in Cambodia.

"I stayed in Thailand for about 20-22 days. Afterwards, I went to Cambodia and settled there. Upon arriving in Cambodia from Thailand, I met Chen Meta, and we began living together," Mainpal said. 

Mainpal said he then started living in a rented hotel in the city of Siem Reap. About a month later, he and Chen Meta pooled $10,000 to purchase a house. Following this, the two began living together in their own home.

According to Mainpal's alleged confession, he also started a business after arriving in Cambodia. He opened a disco named 'Kontiai' and a restaurant named 'Angkor'.

While a reward had been announced for his arrest in India, in Cambodia, he built a home, started a business, and raised a family. 

Mainpal had three children while living in Cambodia: five-year-old Bahubali, four-year-old Bhagat Kumar and one-year-old Aastha.

According to Mainpal, his family grew while in Cambodia, and he continued to build his life there. However, after remaining a fugitive for about six years, his story took a major turn.

According to Mainpal's statement, he went to renew his visa in July 2025, and it was at this point that his true identity was revealed. 

Earlier this month, Mainpal was arrested after he was extradited from Cambodia in an operation coordinated by the CBI in collaboration with the state police and the Union Ministries of Home and External Affairs, officials said on Wednesday.