The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested long-absconding proclaimed offender Ashutosh Pandit from Goa in connection with a major bank fraud case involving Rs17 crore.
Pandit, a director of M/s House of Laptops (India) Pvt. Ltd., Pune, is accused of defrauding a public sector bank in Pune. According to a CBI press release issued on Thursday, the case was initially registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Mumbai, before being transferred to the CBI’s Pune unit, where the trial is currently pending.
Despite sustained efforts by investigators during the probe and even after the filing of the chargesheet in 2013, Pandit remained untraceable for several years. Following the completion of all legal procedures, he was officially declared a proclaimed offender in April 2018.
CBI officials revealed that inputs generated through the NATGRID portal helped crack the case. Pandit had allegedly changed his identity and was living under the assumed name Yatin Sharma in Bambolim, Goa. To evade arrest, he reportedly altered key identity documents, including his PAN card, Aadhaar card, and passport. He initially obtained a passport from New Delhi and later secured another one from Goa after its expiry.
Acting on precise intelligence and supported by technical evidence, the CBI conducted a well-coordinated operation and successfully apprehended Pandit from his Goa residence.
