Vijayakumar Ramachandra Dayma, a key figure in the Rs145 crore embezzlement scam at Samata Cooperative Bank in Nagpur, has been arrested after 17 years on the run. Between 1997 and 2007, Dayma, along with the then Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Board of Directors, officers, employees, and creditors of the bank, orchestrated a large-scale financial fraud that defrauded investors of over Rs145 crore 60 lakh.
A case of embezzlement was filed against 57 individuals at the Sitabuldi police station in Nagpur. The investigation into this high-profile scam was carried out by the Nagpur office of the CID, which found that Dayma had borrowed a loan from Samata Bank without offering any collateral, yet failed to repay it, further deepening the financial fraud.
Dayma went into hiding after the scam was uncovered, with the CID team conducting searches at various locations, including those connected to his relatives. Despite their efforts, Dayma remained elusive for years. However, on May 12, 2024, the Financial Offenses Wing of the CID received information that Dayma was residing in Hyderabad. A team was dispatched to the city, where Dayma was apprehended and subsequently handed over to the CID in Nagpur for further legal proceedings.
This case marks a significant step in the long investigation into the embezzlement at Samata Cooperative Bank, as authorities continue to track down the remaining individuals involved in the scam.
