Fugitive banker behind Rs 77 crore fraud returns to India, held at Ahmedabad airport after 20 years

AHMEDABAD: A fugitive wanted for financial fraud of Rs 77 crore was arrested on Wednesday by the CBI from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport. Virendra Patel, former director of the Charotar Nagrik Sahakari Bank in Anand, was arrested almost two decades after he allegedly committed the fraud.
According to a release from the CBI, Patel returned to India from the US through Interpol channels and was arrested upon arrival at Ahmedabad airport.
After Patel was accused of orchestrating the Rs 77 crore fraud along with other co-conspirators, Gujarat Police registered a case against him at Anand Town police station in 2002. He was charged with criminal breach of trust by a banker, forgery, use of forged documents, cheating, and criminal conspiracy,
In 2004, following a request from Gujarat Police, the CBI secured a red notice against Patel through Interpol, enabling global law enforcement agencies to track his movements.
After evading authorities for over two decades, Patel was finally identified and detained upon landing in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, said a release from the CBI.
The CBI's global operations centre, in collaboration with Gujarat Police and immigration authorities, coordinated Patel's return. Following his detention at the airport, he was handed over to Gujarat Police for further legal proceedings, it said.
As India's national central bureau for Interpol, the CBI has secured the return of fugitives. Since 2021, over 100 wanted criminals have been brought back to India through international cooperation.