CBI arrests two SBI Dhanbad fraud accused after 20-year manhunt
Synopsis
Two men who allegedly defrauded SBI's Dhanbad branch of over ₹1.25 crore and then vanished for nearly 20 years — living under assumed identities after fleeing to Nepal — were arrested by the CBI on 21 June in simultaneous operations in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. It is a rare closure on a two-decade fugitive case.
Key Takeaways
The CBI arrested Brijbhushan Prasad and Kartar Singh on 21 June in a multi-state operation.
The duo allegedly misappropriated more than ₹1.25 crore from SBI's Dhanbad branch between November 2002 and June 2005 .
Both accused had been declared Proclaimed Offenders ; Red Corner Notices were issued and a reward of ₹25,000 each was announced.
The accused allegedly fled to Nepal and later lived under assumed identities in India for nearly 20 years .
Prasad was held from Kopargaon, Ahmednagar (Maharashtra) ; Singh from Raipur (Chhattisgarh) .
Both are being produced before the competent court for further legal proceedings.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two proclaimed offenders — Brijbhushan Prasad and Kartar Singh — nearly two decades after they allegedly fled to evade justice in a bank fraud case involving the misappropriation of more than ₹1.25 crore from the State Bank of India (SBI)'s main branch in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. The arrests were carried out on 21 June in a coordinated, multi-state operation spanning Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, the agency confirmed on Monday.
Background of the Fraud Case
The CBI registered the case on 31 August 2005, following allegations that funds were fraudulently siphoned from SBI's Dhanbad branch between November 2002 and June 2005. Investigators alleged that the accused misappropriated more than ₹1.25 crore before absconding as the probe gathered pace. The agency said both men subsequently fled to Nepal, where they reportedly remained for several years before relocating within India under assumed identities.
How the Accused Evaded Capture
A court declared both men Proclaimed Offenders after they failed to appear before it. Red Corner Notices were issued against them, and the CBI announced a reward of ₹25,000 each for credible information leading to their arrest. Despite these measures, the accused allegedly lived under false identities for close to 20 years, making the case one of the longer-running fugitive hunts in the agency's recent record. Officials said the eventual breakthrough came through sustained surveillance and technical intelligence gathering by dedicated CBI teams.
The Arrest Operation
In a simultaneous operation on 21 June, Brijbhushan Prasad was arrested from Kopargaon in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, while Kartar Singh was apprehended from Raipur in Chhattisgarh. The dual-location takedown required coordination between multiple CBI units operating across state lines. Both accused are being produced before the competent court for further legal proceedings, the agency said.
CBI's Stance and Broader Context
A senior CBI official said the operation reflected the agency's resolve to pursue economic offenders regardless of how much time had elapsed since the alleged crime. The arrests add to a pattern of CBI action in Jharkhand, where the agency has in recent years probed alleged irregularities in public sector institutions, fraudulent government fund withdrawals, and bank-related scams involving forged documents. This case underscores that proclaimed offender status and prolonged absence do not guarantee immunity from eventual prosecution.
Point of View
But the two-decade pursuit matters for a different reason: it tests whether India's investigative machinery can sustain pressure on economic offenders who bet on institutional fatigue. The CBI's use of Red Corner Notices and sustained technical surveillance eventually paid off, yet the 20-year gap also raises questions about why it took this long. Jharkhand has been a recurring theatre for bank and public-fund fraud, and the pattern of accused fleeing to Nepal and then re-entering under false identities points to a systemic gap in cross-border fugitive tracking that goes beyond any single case.
NationPress
22 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Brijbhushan Prasad and Kartar Singh?
They are the two accused arrested by the CBI on 21 June in connection with the fraudulent misappropriation of more than ₹1.25 crore from the State Bank of India's main branch in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. Both had been declared Proclaimed Offenders and were allegedly living under assumed identities for nearly 20 years before their arrest.
What is the SBI Dhanbad fraud case about?
The case involves the alleged misappropriation of more than ₹1.25 crore from SBI's main branch in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, between November 2002 and June 2005. The CBI registered the case on 31 August 2005 after the funds were allegedly siphoned before the accused absconded.
Where were the accused arrested and how did the CBI trace them?
Brijbhushan Prasad was arrested from Kopargaon in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, while Kartar Singh was held from Raipur in Chhattisgarh — both on 21 June. The CBI said the breakthrough came through sustained surveillance and technical intelligence gathering after the accused had allegedly lived under false identities for close to two decades.
Why had the accused not been caught earlier?
According to the CBI, both men fled to Nepal after the investigation began and subsequently re-entered India under assumed identities, evading detection for nearly 20 years. Red Corner Notices and a ₹25,000-per-head reward had been active, but the accused managed to stay hidden until the recent surveillance operation closed in on them.
What happens next in the case?
Both accused are being produced before the competent court for further legal proceedings, the CBI said. The arrests bring a long-pending investigation closer to closure and are expected to be followed by formal charges and trial proceedings.
