CBI manhunts concludes: Bank fraudster’s two decade long run comes to an end
Hyderabad: Twenty years. That’s how long V. Chalapathi Rao managed to evade justice after allegedly defrauding the State Bank of India of Rs 50 lakh. After 20 years of evading the law enforcement officials, the fraudster accused in the bank fraud couldn’t escape the long arm of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Investigation officials stated the accused was on the run since 2004 and changed his identity five times and shifted his base to more than half a dozen states, married once and obtained fake Aadhar cards stayed one step ahead of the law. But in a dramatic climax to a cat-and-mouse chase that spanned two decades, CBI caught him while he was planning to escape to Sri Lanka by sea route.
Going further into details, CBI had registered a case in 2002 against the accused V. Chalapathi Rao, who used to work as a 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 2004 and 2006. The said accused has been missing since 2004.
In a twist to the tale, the accused wife, who is also an accused in the above fraud case, even lodged a case at Kamatipura Police Station of Hyderabad commissionerate in 2004. Further she had also filed a petition in the Civil Court to declare the absconding accused as dead after completion of 7 years after the accused 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 2013 by CBI. During the investigation, the wife of the accused obtained a stay from High Court of Telangana on the efforts to attach the property of accused.
Explaining the various tactics employed by the accused in evading the arrest, CBI said, “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”.
The CBI probe revealed the accused had fled to Salem and married a lady 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 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 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 the PO changed his name as Swamy 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 the PO shifted to Bharatpur (Rajasthan) as Vidhitatmanand Teertha and stayed there till 8th July, 2024. He thereafter left Bharatpur and reached Tirunelveli to stay with one of his disciples.During this period, PO 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 on Sunday from Narsinganallur village, Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) where he was hiding” said CBI adding that 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.
Further he was produced before the Ld. Court of Special Judge for CBI Cases at Hyderabad onSunday and has been remanded to Judicial Custody till 16, August, 2024.
