CBI arrests accused in a Hyderabad bank fraud case after 22 years

Hyderabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested V Chalapathi Rao, a Proclaimed Offender (PO) absconding in a bank fraud case who frequently changed his identity and locations to avoid being caught.

CBI had registered a case on May 1, 2002 against the said accused, a then Computer Operator, SBI Chandulal Biradari Branch, Hyderabad on allegations that accused cheated SBI to the tune of Rs 50 lakh on the basis of fabricated quotations of electronic shops and fake salary certificates created in the names of his family members and close associates and misappropriated the crime proceeds. On completion of investigation, CBI filed two chargesheets in 20024 and 2006.

He has been missing since 2004. His wife, who is also an accused in the same fraud case, even lodged an FIR at Kamatipura Police Station in 2004. She had also filed a petition in the Civil Court to declare the absconding accused as dead after completion of 7 years after PO allegedly went missing. In this regard, an order/decree too was passed by the concerned Civil Court of Hyderabad.

As the said accused has been absconding, the case against him was split up and upon completion of proceedings under Sections 82 & 83 Cr.PC, he was declared Proclaimed Offender (PO) in 2013in the CBI case.

During the investigation, the wife of the accused obtained a stay from High Court of Telangana on the efforts to attach the property of Proclaimed Offender (PO).

The PO resorted to numerous efforts including constantly changing locations, contact numbers, identity, etc. However, CBI relentlessly pursued leads and finally caught him from a village in Tamil Nadu.

As per information gathered by CBI, the accused had fled to Salem and married a woman in 2007 by changing his name as M Vineet Kumar and obtained an Aadhaar number as well.

Through his second wife, CBI got information that he was in touch with his son out of his first marriage. However, in 2014 he left Salem without any information and reached Bhopal where worked as Loan Recovery Agent and then shifted to Rudrapur in Uttarakhand, where he worked in a School.

When the team reached to trace him at Rudrapur, it was found that he had fled the said place in 2016. With the help of email IDs and Aadhaar details of PO in the name of M Vineet Kumar, CBI approached Gmail Law Enforcement Department. With these details, it was found out that the PO shifted to an Ashram, in Verul village, Aurangabad.

It was further revealed that he changed his name as Swami Vidhitatmanand Teertha and also obtained an Aadhaar Card. However, in December, 2021 he left said Ashram where he had allegedly cheated the Ashram to the tune of Rs. 70 lakh.

Subsequently he shifted to Bharatpur in Rajasthan as Vidhitatmanand Teertha and stayed there till July 8, 2024. He thereafter left Bharatpur and reached Tirunelveli to stay with one of his disciples.

During this period, he has changed contact numbers more than 8-10. It was also gathered that the PO was planning to escape to Sri Lanka by sea route.

Continuous efforts by the CBI to trace the PO, resulted in the arrest of the accused June 4, from Narasinganallur village, Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu where he was hiding. A well coordinated and calibrated effort of the CBI team resulted in tracing and apprehending the PO who has been on the run for almost two decades evading the clutches of Law.

He was produced before the Court of Special Judge for CBI Cases at Hyderabad on June 4 and has been remanded to Judicial Custody till June 16. Trial in case will commence henceforth.