CBI arrests CCL official in Jharkhand for ₹10,000 bribe, nabs two SBI fraud fugitives
Synopsis
The CBI ran two separate enforcement actions in 24 hours — catching a CCL official red-handed taking a ₹10,000 bribe from a medically unwell security guard, and simultaneously nabbing two bank fraud fugitives who had evaded justice for nearly 20 years after allegedly siphoning ₹1.25 crore from SBI's Dhanbad branch.
Key Takeaways
Arun Sinha , Chief Store Keeper at CCL's Ramgarh unit, was arrested by the CBI for allegedly accepting a ₹10,000 bribe from a security guard with a medical condition.
The CBI registered the bribery case on Sunday and caught Sinha red-handed the following day; searches were conducted at his office and residence.
In a separate operation on 21 June , the CBI arrested Brijbhushan Prasad from Kopargaon, Maharashtra and Kartar Singh from Raipur, Chhattisgarh .
The two are accused of fraudulently misappropriating more than ₹1.25 crore from SBI's Dhanbad branch between November 2002 and June 2005 .
Both had been declared Proclaimed Offenders , with Red Corner Notices issued and a reward of ₹25,000 each announced for information leading to their arrest.
Investigators allege the duo fled to Nepal and lived under assumed identities for nearly two decades before being traced.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday arrested a senior official of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) in Jharkhand for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹10,000 from a security guard who was struggling to perform his duties owing to a medical condition. The arrest was made in a trap operation laid by the federal agency.
How the Arrest Unfolded
The accused, Arun Sinha, serving as Chief Store Keeper, Regional Store, Saunda, Barka Sayal Area, CCL, Ramgarh, Jharkhand, was caught red-handed while allegedly demanding and accepting the bribe amount, according to an official CBI statement. The agency had registered the case on Sunday following a formal complaint alleging an undue advantage demand of ₹10,000 from the complainant.
Following Sinha's arrest, the CBI conducted searches at both his office and residential premises in Ramgarh. No further details about recovered materials were disclosed at the time of reporting.
Two Proclaimed Offenders Nabbed in Separate Operation
In a separate but significant development also linked to Jharkhand, the CBI on 21 June apprehended two proclaimed offenders wanted in connection with a bank fraud of more than ₹1.25 crore involving the State Bank of India (SBI)'s main branch in Dhanbad.
The accused — Brijbhushan Prasad and Kartar Singh — were arrested in a coordinated, simultaneous operation spanning two states. Brijbhushan Prasad was picked up from Kopargaon in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, while Kartar Singh was apprehended from Raipur in Chhattisgarh.
A Case Nearly Two Decades in the Making
The SBI fraud case dates back to 31 August 2005, when the CBI registered it following allegations of fraudulent misappropriation of ₹1.25 crore from the Dhanbad branch between November 2002 and June 2005. Investigators alleged that both men siphoned off funds before disappearing once the probe began.
According to the CBI, the accused subsequently fled to Nepal and allegedly lived under assumed identities for nearly two decades to evade detection. A court had declared them Proclaimed Offenders, and Red Corner Notices were issued against them. The CBI had also announced a reward of ₹25,000 each for credible information leading to their arrest.
What Led to the Breakthrough
Officials attributed the breakthrough to sustained surveillance, technical intelligence gathering, and extensive field follow-up by CBI teams. A senior official stated that the operation reflected the agency's commitment to pursuing economic offenders regardless of the time elapsed since the offence was committed.
The twin operations on 21–22 June underscore the CBI's stepped-up enforcement activity in Jharkhand, a state that has historically been a focal point for both coal-sector corruption and banking fraud investigations. With all three accused now in custody, the respective cases are expected to move toward trial.
Point of View
000 bribe case is notable not for its scale but for its brazenness — a government official allegedly exploiting a security guard's medical vulnerability for a sum that barely registers on the corruption spectrum. It points to the everyday transactional corruption that hollows out public-sector welfare from the ground up, far removed from the headline scams. The SBI Dhanbad case, meanwhile, is a reminder of how long economic offenders can outrun Indian justice when they have the means to disappear across borders — nearly 20 years, two assumed identities, and a Red Corner Notice were not enough to stop them until now. The CBI's coordinated, multi-state operation suggests improved inter-agency intelligence sharing, but the two-decade gap between crime and arrest raises uncomfortable questions about systemic delays in economic offence prosecution.
NationPress
22 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Arun Sinha of CCL arrested by the CBI?
Arun Sinha, Chief Store Keeper at Central Coalfields Limited's Ramgarh unit in Jharkhand, was arrested for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹10,000 from a security guard who was facing difficulties performing his duties due to a medical condition. The CBI caught him red-handed in a trap operation.
Who are Brijbhushan Prasad and Kartar Singh, and what are they accused of?
Brijbhushan Prasad and Kartar Singh are accused of fraudulently misappropriating more than ₹1.25 crore from the State Bank of India's main branch in Dhanbad between November 2002 and June 2005. They had been declared Proclaimed Offenders and were arrested on 21 June after evading law enforcement for nearly two decades.
How did the CBI finally track down the SBI fraud accused after so many years?
According to the CBI, the breakthrough came through sustained surveillance, technical intelligence gathering, and extensive field follow-up. Investigators allege the accused had been living under assumed identities after fleeing to Nepal, and were eventually traced to Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.
Where were Brijbhushan Prasad and Kartar Singh arrested?
Brijbhushan Prasad was arrested from Kopargaon in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, while Kartar Singh was apprehended from Raipur in Chhattisgarh — both in a simultaneous CBI operation conducted on 21 June.
What legal action had been taken against the SBI Dhanbad fraud accused before their arrest?
A court had declared both men Proclaimed Offenders, and Red Corner Notices were issued against them internationally. The CBI had also announced a reward of ₹25,000 each for information leading to their arrest, following the case's registration on 31 August 2005.
