SBI fraud case: CBI finally arrests offender who frequently changed identity, was proclaimed dead by court

The CBI has arrested V Chalapathi Rao, a proclaimed offender absconding for 20 years in a bank fraud case who was declared dead a few years ago by a Hyderabad court.

A press release from the premier investigating agency on Monday said V Chalapathi Rao avoided arrest by frequently changing his identity and locations.

In May 2002, the CBI had registered a case against the accused, working then as a computer operator at SBI Chandulal Biradari Branch, Hyderabad following allegations that he cheated the bank 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. 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, lodged a complaint with the city police. She had also moved the Civil Court to declare the absconding accused as dead, seven years after he allegedly went missing.

Subsequently, an order was passed by a civil court of Hyderabad. The accused constantly changed locations, contact numbers and identity. However, the CBI relentlessly pursued leads and finally nabbed him in 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 an Aadhaar number as well. Through his second wife, the 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 a loan recovery agent and then shifted to Rudrapur in Uttarakhand, where he worked in a school.

When the team reached Rudrapur, it was found that he had fled in 2016 and shifted to an Ashram, in Verul village, Aurangabad. It was further discovered that the accused changed his name as Swamy Vidhitatmanand Teertha and also obtained an Aadhaar Card.

In December 2021, he left the Ashram, where he had allegedly cheated the Ashram to the tune of Rs. 70 lakh. Subsequently, Rao moved to Bharatpur (Rajasthan) as Vidhitatmanand Teertha and stayed there till July 8, this year.

He thereafter left Bharatpur and relocated to Tirunelveli to stay with one of his disciples. During this period, he changed contact numbers about 10 times and was planning to escape to Sri Lanka by sea route.

Finally, he was arrested on August 4 from Narsinganallur village in Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) where he was hiding. He was produced before a local court which remanded him till August 16.