New Delhi, August 25: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made significant progress by apprehending two declared fugitives involved in separate bank fraud cases. The arrested individuals have been identified as Jitendra Kumar and Pooja Pahwa, who had been evading law enforcement for 17 and 6 years, respectively.
Jitendra Kumar was implicated in a home loan default case based on fake salary certificates during 2002-03, causing a loss of ₹65.90 lakh to GIC Housing Finance Limited. The account was declared a non-performing asset (NPA) shortly after the loan was issued. In 2006, a chargesheet was filed against Kumar and 18 others. He deliberately avoided trial proceedings and failed to appear in court since 2009. In January 2013, he was declared a proclaimed offender. Following persistent efforts by the CBI, he was arrested on August 25 from Dwarka Mor, New Delhi. He will be presented before the competent court for further legal action.
Pooja Pahwa was involved in the diversion and embezzlement of cash credit facilities obtained through fraudulent documents, resulting in a loss of ₹10.16 crore to Indian Overseas Bank. The account was declared an NPA in 2012. A chargesheet was filed against her and five others in 2017. A supplementary chargesheet was also filed against four bank officials for colluding with the beneficiary company and individuals.
Pooja Pahwa has been evading trial since 2022 and was declared a proclaimed offender in 2023. After gathering intelligence and targeted efforts, the CBI arrested her on August 4 in Ludhiana, Punjab. She is currently in judicial custody.
The CBI has reiterated its commitment to apprehending and prosecuting every criminal involved in economic fraud.
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