Police in Madhya Pradesh’s Anuppur district have arrested a man accused of cheating more than 30 rural women by persuading them to take loans in their own names and allegedly diverting the money.
The accused, Dinesh Rathore, had allegedly been absconding for nearly two years.
Police say the suspected fraud involves loans worth more than ₹1 crore taken through banks and finance companies in the names of women from Choi village and surrounding areas under Jaithari police station.
Dinesh was produced before a court on Sunday and sent to jail.
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Women Were Allegedly Promised They Would Not Have to Repay
According to police, the women were persuaded to join or use group-lending arrangements and obtain loans from different financial institutions.
The accused allegedly assured them that he and his family would pay the instalments themselves.
On that assurance, loans were sanctioned in the women’s names.
Police allege that the women did not receive the money after the loans were disbursed.
Instead, the accused and his relatives allegedly retained the funds.
The result is that the women remain legally connected to the loans while claiming they never received the financial benefit.
Earlier Complaint Showed Similar Pattern
The allegations are consistent with an earlier complaint reported from the same Jaithari area in January 2024.
In that case, a Choui village resident alleged that loans totalling ₹2.9 lakh had been sanctioned in her name through several microfinance companies.
She claimed that after withdrawing the money, Maya Rathore and her son-in-law Dinesh Rathore took the entire amount.
When loan agents later began demanding instalments, the woman said she realised she had been cheated and approached police.
That earlier complaint does not by itself prove the wider ₹1 crore allegation, but it shows police had already been examining a similar loan-diversion pattern involving the same family.
Complaint by More Than 30 Women Filed in 2024
On February 22, 2024, Radha Devi Rathore and more than 30 other women lodged a complaint at Jaithari police station.
They alleged that loans had been taken in their names and the proceeds misappropriated.
Police then began an investigation, but Dinesh allegedly remained absconding.
The case continued for nearly two years before he was spotted in Jaithari on Saturday evening.
According to police, some of the women recognised him and immediately alerted officers.
He was detained and later formally arrested.
Three Relatives Remain Absconding
Police say Dinesh’s mother-in-law Maya Rathore, father-in-law Puran Rathore and brother-in-law Nohar alias Bablu Rathore are also wanted in connection with the case.
All three are currently absconding.
Investigators are trying to determine the role each family member allegedly played in convincing women to take loans, collecting the money and handling repayments.
During questioning, police say Dinesh has attempted to shift responsibility onto his in-laws.
He allegedly claimed that they were the people who collected the loan money.
The women, however, have told investigators that Dinesh himself was present and counted the money in some transactions.
Those competing claims remain under investigation.
Victims Now Face Pressure From Lenders
The most serious consequence for the women is that the debt remains attached to their names.
Banks and finance companies are reportedly continuing to demand instalments even though the women say they never received the loan proceeds.
This can leave victims facing damaged credit records, repeated collection demands and financial pressure from loans they say benefited someone else.
The case also raises questions about how dozens of loans were approved and whether adequate checks were carried out before money was released.
Police are examining which banks and finance companies were involved and how many loans were sanctioned.
Probe Now Focuses on Full Money Trail
Investigators are trying to establish the total amount involved, the exact number of affected women and the path followed by the loan money after disbursal.
Police will also need to determine whether financial-institution employees or agents had any knowledge of the alleged diversion.
There is currently no public allegation establishing wrongdoing by individual bank or finance-company staff.
Dinesh has been arrested, but the accusations against him and his relatives have not yet been proved in court.
What this means for you
Never take a loan in your own name for another person simply because they promise to pay the instalments. Legally, the borrower remains responsible, and if the money is diverted, the victim can still face recovery demands, damaged credit records and years of financial trouble.
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