New Delhi: In a significant breakthrough, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two long-time fugitives declared as proclaimed offenders in multi-crore bank fraud cases. The duo, who had evaded capture for years, was nabbed during coordinated operations in two cities on Friday.
The suspects have been identified as Sanjay Sharma from Banswara, Rajasthan—also known by aliases Sanjeev Dixit and Pankaj Bhardwaj—and Sheetal Sharma from Vadodara, Gujarat, who also goes by Aarti Sharma. Both had been on the run, with courts issuing proclamations against them for failing to appear.
Sanjay Sharma faces charges in two separate frauds. The first, registered on March 13, 2013, accuses him and unidentified accomplices of defrauding Punjab National Bank (PNB) of Rs 9.95 crore through fraudulent means. The second case, filed on July 11, 2013, involves him allegedly conspiring with Aarti Sharma and others to swindle Rs 4 crore.
Court records show Aarti Sharma was declared a proclaimed offender on August 30, 2016. Sanjay Sharma received similar status on August 11, 2016, and again on November 23, 2017, in different cases. Notably, Haryana Police had arrested Sanjay on July 27, 2014, but he escaped custody during a court appearance in Sonipat on April 4, 2016, and went underground.
CBI investigators tracked him using the alias Pankaj Bhardwaj, leveraging financial transactions and mobile data analysis. Both were apprehended with forged identity documents. They have been produced before a competent court, which granted transit remand to bring them to Delhi.
This operation underscores the CBI’s determination in pursuing financial criminals. Legal proceedings in the cases continue, promising accountability for the massive frauds that shook banking trusts.