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In a remarkable turn of events, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended a man who had been evading justice for over two decades in a high-profile bank fraud case. The accused, V. Chalapathi Rao, had been declared legally dead by a court in Hyderabad several years ago, adding an intriguing twist to this already complex case.
In a remarkable turn of events, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended a man who had been evading justice for over two decades in a high-profile bank fraud case. The accused, V. Chalapathi Rao, had been declared legally dead by a court in Hyderabad several years ago, adding an intriguing twist to this already complex case.
The origins of this saga date back to May 2002, when the CBI first registered a case against Rao. At the time, he was employed as a computer operator at the State Bank of India (SBI) Chandulal Biradari Branch in Hyderabad. Rao was accused of defrauding the bank of a staggering ₹50 lakh through a sophisticated scheme involving fabricated quotations from electronic shops and fake salary certificates created in the names of his family members and close associates.
The CBI filed two chargesheets against Rao on December 31, 2004, but by then, the accused had already gone missing. His wife, who was also implicated in the fraud case, lodged a complaint with the local police and later petitioned the Civil Court to declare her husband dead, as he had been missing for seven years. In 2011, the court obliged and issued a decree declaring Rao deceased.
However, the CBI never gave up on the case and continued to pursue leads, despite Rao’s best efforts to evade capture. The accused proved to be a master of disguise, constantly changing his identity, locations, and contact numbers to stay one step ahead of the authorities.
According to information gathered by the CBI, Rao fled to Salem in Tamil Nadu in 2007 and married another woman, assuming the name M Vineet Kumar and obtaining an Aadhaar card in that identity. He maintained contact with his son from his first marriage during this time. In 2014, Rao left Salem without warning and moved to Bhopal, where he worked as a loan recovery agent. He then relocated to Rudrapur in Uttarakhand, where he found employment at a school.
When a CBI team reached Rudrapur in 2016, they discovered that Rao had already fled the scene. Using email IDs and Aadhaar details linked to the name M Vineet Kumar, the CBI approached Google’s law enforcement department, which revealed that Rao had moved to an ashram in Verul village, Aurangabad. There, he had changed his name to Swami Vidhitatmanand Teertha and obtained another Aadhaar card. However, in December 2021, he left the ashram, allegedly after cheating its managers of ₹70 lakh.
Rao’s next stop was Bharatpur in Rajasthan, where he stayed until July 8, 2024. He then left for Tirunelveli to stay with one of his disciples, changing his contact number nearly 10 times during this period. The CBI received credible information that Rao was planning to escape to Sri Lanka by sea, prompting them to intensify their efforts.
Finally, on August 4, 2024, the CBI tracked down and arrested Rao from Narasinganallur village in Tirunelveli. He was produced before the court of the special judge for CBI cases in Hyderabad and remanded in judicial custody until August 16.
The arrest of V. Chalapathi Rao is a significant victory for the CBI and a testament to their perseverance and investigative prowess. The case highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in tracking down individuals who are skilled at evading detection through the use of multiple identities and frequent relocations. It also raises questions about the efficacy of the legal system, particularly in cases where a court has erroneously declared a person dead.
As the investigation progresses, it is expected that further details will emerge regarding the full extent of Rao’s fraudulent activities and the methods he employed to remain undetected for such an extended period. The CBI’s success in apprehending this long-elusive fugitive serves as a reminder that justice, though delayed, can indeed be served.
