Fugitive in Fake Loan Scam Nabbed After Nearly Two Decades on the Run

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has captured Manoj Kumar, a long-standing fugitive involved in a fraudulent loan scheme causing losses to GIC Housing Finance Limited. The arrest comes after an extended absconding period despite being declared a Proclaimed Offender in 2021. He is now in judicial custody.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has successfully apprehended Manoj Kumar, a proclaimed offender linked to a fraudulent loan scam, as stated in an official press release. The CBI initially registered the case in April 2005 against the then Branch Manager of GIC Housing Finance Limited along with several borrowers. Allegations pointed toward the sanctioning of fictitious loans based on counterfeit documents, resulting in a considerable financial loss of approximately Rs 65.9 lakh to the finance company.

A chargesheet was presented by the CBI on February 28, 2006, to the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in New Delhi, implicating three individuals, including Kumar, under sections of the IPC for criminal conspiracy and fraud. The accused, who was employed as an assistant at a housing project in Bahadurgarh, Haryana, falsified salary documentation to secure loans illicitly. Despite exhaustive efforts, Kumar avoided capture and was proclaimed an offender by the court in New Delhi on March 31, 2021.

After eluding authorities for years, Kumar was finally detained and taken before the court on December 3, 2024. He is now in judicial custody, marking a significant development in the case. The CBI continues to pursue accountability and justice in financial crimes of this nature.

(With inputs from agencies.)