Cyber Crime
Scamster-Turned-Monk Arrested in Rs 300 Crore Fraud Case in Vrindavan
BEED, MAHARASHTRA: Baban Shinde, who had been absconding after committing a multi-state scam worth Rs 300 crores in Maharashtra’s Beed district, has been arrested by the Beed police. Shinde was apprehended in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. He has multiple cases registered against him not only in Beed but also in Dharashiv district. After evading arrest for nearly a year, moving between Delhi, Nepal, Assam, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh, Shinde was finally caught in the Krishna Temple area of Vrindavan.
According to Beed police, Shinde is involved in five cases of fraud against depositors from Beed and Dharashiv. He had been on the run after defrauding over Rs 300 crores. The police had been searching for him for about a year.
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Baban Shinde was arrested during a special operation conducted by the Beed police. He had been living in Vrindavan disguised as a saint. Shinde is accused of swindling depositors by orchestrating a massive scam through the Jijau Mahasaheb Multi-State Bank in Beed district.
Investigations revealed that the Jijau Mahasaheb Credit Union, with branches in both Beed and Dharashiv, had been defrauded of Rs 300 crore. Before any case was registered, Shinde fled on July 3, 2023, and had been hiding by frequently changing his appearance and SIM cards while moving across various states like Delhi, Nepal, Assam, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh.
A dedicated team of the Beed police had been pursuing him, and he was finally captured in a room near the Krishna Temple in Vrindavan. Shinde is considered the prime suspect in the case, and his arrest is expected to expedite the investigation.