In India, a disturbing pattern has become all too familiar: the moment a high-profile individual is accused of wrongdoing, their first instinct is not to face the law but to book the earliest international flight. From financial fraud to the recent Goa nightclub incident, the story is often the same crime happens, public outrage rises, and before the law can act, the accused disappears.
This trend raises a serious question: Is the Indian justice system strong only for ordinary citizens, while powerful offenders escape accountability with ease?
A System That Warns the Powerful Before Warning the Public
One of the biggest reasons VIP criminals escape is the network of connections they enjoy. Influential businessmen, club owners, politicians, or celebrity-linked individuals often have access to information long before action is taken.
A lookout notice may be issued hours later, but the accused gets a heads-up in minutes.
Money power and political backing create a safety net that protects them not from consequences, but from arrest.
Loopholes That Make Escaping Easy
- Delayed Lookout Circulars
The law requires airports to stop a person only if an LOC is issued. But in many cases, by the time authorities complete paperwork, the accused is already past immigration.
- Weak Airport Coordination
Airports rely on centralised databases. If an alert doesn’t reach immediately, airport staff cannot legally stop a passenger even if news channels already show their name.
- Slow Legal Processes
FIR, investigation, arrest warrant these steps take time. VIPs exploit this delay to quietly slip out of the country.
- Inter-State Communication Gaps
When a crime happens in one state and the suspect flees to another, agencies often lose precious time coordinating. This lag becomes an escape window.
Why Only the Powerful Manage to Escape?
The answer is simple: ordinary citizens don’t get early warnings, political networks, or legal shields.
A common citizen involved in even a small crime is caught within days but a powerful criminal gets enough time to leave the country, hire foreign lawyers, and settle abroad.
This creates a two-tier justice system—one for the wealthy, another for everyone else.
Damaging Impact on Society
- Public Trust Weakens
When VIPs escape punishment, citizens lose faith in the justice system.
- Encouragement for Future Crimes
If criminals believe they can flee the country, the fear of law disappears.
- Police Credibility Gets Questioned
Officers are blamed for not acting fast even when the real problem is systemic loopholes.
What Needs to Change?
To stop VIP criminals from taking “international exits,” India needs structural upgrades:
- Instant LOCs issued within minutes, not hours
- Direct airport alert systems linked to FIRs
- Immediate passport suspension for serious allegations
- Independent investigation teams free from political pressure
- National coordination dashboards between states
A strong justice system is not just about catching criminals it’s about ensuring no one is above the law.
VIP criminals manage to escape not because they are clever but because the system is vulnerable.
As long as connections and money can buy time, crime will continue to fly sometimes literally out of the country.
India can truly become stronger only when the law applies equally to everyone, whether they walk on red carpets or run from the runway.