A Bank Was Fooled, A Fugitive Was Born — But 47 Years Later, the CBI Came Knocking

In 1977, Satish Kumar Anand, then a young man, conspired with a bank branch manager to fraudulently secure a loan of ₹5.69 lakh from the Bank of India. He submitted fake bills and false delivery documents under the name of a private company. While the amount may seem modest today, adjusted for inflation, it would be roughly ₹29 lakh today. The CBI registered a case in 1978, and in 1985, a court sentenced Anand and another man, Ashok Kumar, to five years in prison and a ₹15,000 fine. However, Anand disappeared before he could be taken into custody.

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From Convict to Fugitive

After the sentencing, Anand went into hiding. By 2009, with no trace of him, a court officially declared him a fugitive. The CBI said he kept changing locations to dodge arrest and was never found at his known addresses in Delhi or Hapur, Uttar Pradesh. Over the decades, he evaded numerous attempts by law enforcement agencies to trace his whereabouts, making him one of the longest-absconding convicts in a financial fraud case.

A Breakthrough Lead After Decades

CBI’s breakthrough came when investigators found a mobile number registered in the name of Anand’s son. Using this lead, they tracked the number to a residence in Rohini, Delhi. A surveillance team was deployed, and they quietly watched the property for several days to confirm Anand’s presence. Once satisfied he was indeed inside, they made their move.

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Arrest and Custody

The CBI arrested Anand at the Rohini address without incident. He was later presented before a special CBI court in Dehradun and remanded to judicial custody. The arrest ends a decades-old chase and sends a clear message that justice, though delayed, is not forgotten.