After two decades, CBI arrests proclaimed offender in Hyderabad SBI fraud case
Hyderabad: After two decades, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested V. Chalapathi Rao, a proclaimed offender (PO) absconding in a bank fraud case by frequently changing his identity and locations to avoid being caught.
The CBI had registered a case on May 1, 2002 against the said accused, a then Computer Operator, SBI Chandulal Biradari Branch, Hyderabad following 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, the CBI filed two chargesheets on December 31, 2004. The accused has been missing since 2004. His wife, who is also an accused in the fraud case, even lodged an FIR at Kamatipura police on July 10, 2004.
She had also filed a petition in the civil court to declare the absconding accused as dead after completion of seven year after PO allegedly went missing. In this regard, an order/decree too was passed by the Civil Court concerned in 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) on April 18, 2013 in the CBI case.
During the investigation, the wife of accused obtained 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, the 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 lady in 2007 by changing his name as M. Vineet Kumar and obtained Aadhaar number as well. Through his second wife, CBI got information that the PO was in touch with his son out of his first marriage.
However, in 2014 he left Salem without any information and reached Bhopal where he 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 in 2016.
With the help of email IDs and Aadhaar details of PO in the name of M. Vineet Kumar, the CBI approached Gmail Law Enforcement department. With these details, it was found out that the PO shifted to an Ashram, in Verul village in Aurangabad.
It was further revealed that the PO changed his name as Swamy Vidhitatmanand Teertha and also obtained 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 the PO 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, the PO has changed contact numbers more than eight to times.
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 his arrest on Sunday from Narsinganallur village, Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu where he was hiding.
A well coordinated and calibrated efforts of CBI team resulted in tracing and apprehending the PO who has been on 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 Sunday and has been remanded to judicial custody till August 16, 2024. Trial in case will commence henceforth.
