CBI arrests accused absconding for 23 years in Rs 9 lakh fraud case

The CBI has arrested Roop Singh, who had been absconding for nearly 23 years in a 1998 goods misappropriation case. The arrest follows the earlier capture of co-accused Arjun Singh and advances the long-pending investigation.

In Short

• Chargesheet filed in 2003 against four accused including Roop and Arjun Singh
• Case involves theft of ghee and mung from two trucks in Maharashtra
• Roop and Arjun declared proclaimed offenders in 2010 after absconding

The CBI has arrested Roop Singh, a proclaimed offender who had been absconding for nearly 23 years in a 1998 case involving the theft and criminal misappropriation of goods worth around Rs 9 lakh. His arrest comes months after another accused, Arjun Singh, was arrested in the same case.

CASE DATES BACK TO 1998

The case originated in Maharashtra and pertains to the theft and criminal misappropriation of goods, including ghee and mung, that were loaded in two trucks.

According to the allegations, on September 27, 1998, the two truck drivers, Babu Khan and Aslam Khan, stole and misappropriated the goods.

The Bombay High Court later directed that the case be investigated by the CBI. The agency subsequently re-registered the case on April 5, 2002 against Babu Khan, Aslam Khan and others.

CBI CHARGESHEETED FOUR ACCUSED

Following its investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet on December 19, 2003, against Roop Singh, Arjun Singh, Babu Khan and Aslam Khan for offences related to criminal misappropriation, criminal conspiracy and abetment.

The investigation found that Roop Singh and Arjun Singh had allegedly conspired with the two truck drivers to criminally misappropriate goods that were meant to be delivered to another party.

ACCUSED DECLARED PROCLAIMED OFFENDERS

During the trial, Roop Singh and Arjun Singh were released on bail but subsequently absconded, according to the CBI. They were declared proclaimed offenders by the court on November 11, 2010.

Babu Khan and Aslam Khan had been absconding since the inception of the case.

Earlier, Arjun Singh was arrested on November 7, 2025, after remaining absconding for nearly 22 years. With Roop Singh's arrest on August 21, the CBI has made another breakthrough in the nearly three-decade-old case.

The arrest marks a significant development in the long-pending investigation and reflects the CBI's continued efforts to trace absconding accused and bring them to justice.

- Ends