CBI arrests Proclaimed Offender in 2-decade-old Bank of Baroda fraud case

New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday announced the arrest of Dinesh D. Gehlot, a Proclaimed Offender in a high-value bank fraud case registered more than two decades ago.

The case dates back to May 31, 2004, when Gehlot allegedly defrauded Bank of Baroda by dishonestly securing a housing loan using forged and fabricated documents.

Following an investigation, the CBI filed a charge sheet on April 30, 2007, naming him as one of the conspirators in the fraud.

"The accused failed to join the trial or respond to summons/warrants and was untraceable since 2024. Multiple Non-Bailable Warrants (NBWs) were issued against him. Finally, on 09.12.2024, the Hon. Special Judge for CBI, Greater Bombay, ordered to issue Proclamation warrant against him. Despite sustained efforts over the time to trace him, the absconding accused had remained untraceable," the agency said in a statement.

Officials revealed that Gehlot frequently changed residences, misled locals about his real identity and kept minimal contact with residents, making it extremely difficult to trace him.

According to the CBI, "Through the deployment of advanced technological tools and identity-tracking databases, meticulously analysing the digital footprint of the absconding accused to ascertain his current identity and location, supplemented by extensive field investigations and on-ground enquiries, the team successfully located the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot in Noida."

He was apprehended on August 20, 2025, and produced before the Competent Court in Mumbai, which remanded him to judicial custody to face trial proceedings. The accused is currently undergoing trial.

Highlighting the operation, the CBI said, "This case is a classic example of how the integration of technology-driven Intelligence platforms with the persistent and coordinated efforts of investigating officers on the ground can substantially augment the operational capabilities of law enforcement agencies in tracing and apprehending long-absconding offenders."

--IANS

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