HYDERABAD: After evading capture for 20 years, V. Chalapathi Rao has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with a bank fraud case. Chalapathi, who had been declared a proclaimed offender, managed to escape authorities by frequently changing his identity and location, even posing as a self-styled seer.
In 2002, Chalapathi was accused of defrauding the State Bank of India (SBI) of ₹50 lakh. He reportedly falsified documents, including quotations from electronic shops and salary certificates, to facilitate the fraud. Despite two chargesheets filed by the CBI in December 2004, Chalapathi remained elusive and was on the run since July 2004.
His wife initially reported him missing, and seven years later, she petitioned a civil court to have him declared dead, which was granted. This allowed her to attach his property. In 2013, the CBI declared him a proclaimed offender.
Chalapathi had assumed multiple identities, including M. Vineet Kumar and Swamy Vidhitatmanand Teertha, and had defrauded an ashram of ₹70 lakh before fleeing in 2021. He also attempted to escape to Sri Lanka.
Recently, the CBI traced him to Narsinganallur village in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. Chalapathi was arrested and brought before the Special Judge for CBI Cases in Hyderabad, where he has been remanded to judicial custody until August 16.