CBI arrests proclaimed offender Dinesh D Gehlot in Bank of Baroda fraud case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has successfully arrested the accused Dinesh D Gehlot, a proclaimed offender in a high-value bank fraud case, pursuant to sustained and meticulous efforts made by the investigating team, a press release stated. According to a release by the CBI, the case was registered on May 31, 2004, for defrauding the Bank of Baroda. It was alleged that the accused Dinesh D Gehlot had dishonestly applied for a housing loan by the use of forged and fabricated documents. After completion of the investigation, a charge sheet was filed in the case on April 30, 2007, making Gehlot one of the conspirators for cheating and defrauding the Bank of Baroda. The accused failed to join the trial or respond to summons/warrants and was untraceable since 2024. Multiple Non-Bailable Warrants (NBWs) were issued against him. Finally, on December 9, 2024, the Special Judge for CBI, Greater Bombay ordered to issue Proclamation warrant against him. Despite sustained efforts over time to trace him, the absconding accused had remained untraceable, the release said. The accused had frequently changed residences. He had misled the local residents about his real identity and had maintained minimal interaction with locals, further hindering efforts to trace him. The CBI, through the deployment of advanced technological tools and identity-tracking databases, meticulously analysed the digital footprint of the absconding accused to ascertain his current identity and location. Supplemented by extensive field investigations and on-ground inquiries, the CBI team successfully located the accused Dinesh Gehlot in Noida. Pursuant to his identification, the accused was apprehended on August 20 and produced before the Competent Court at Mumbai, which remanded him to judicial custody for the purpose of further trial proceedings. The accused is presently undergoing trial. This case is a classic example of how the integration of technology-driven intelligence platforms with the persistent and coordinated efforts of investigating officers on the ground can substantially augment the operational capabilities of law enforcement agencies in tracing and apprehending long-absconding offenders, the press release stated.