CBI Nabs ₹8 Crore Bank Fraud Accused After 20 Years with Image Search Tech
CBI arrested a man absconding for nearly 20 years in a Rs. 8 crore bank fraud case using advanced image search technology
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Mani M. Sekhar, who had been absconding for nearly two decades in connection with a Rs. 8 crore bank fraud case. He was declared a Proclaimed Offender in 2009 and was finally traced using advanced image search tools and artificial intelligence. The case began in 2006 when the CBI registered a case against several...
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Mani M. Sekhar, who had been absconding for nearly two decades in connection with a Rs. 8 crore bank fraud case. He was declared a Proclaimed Offender in 2009 and was finally traced using advanced image search tools and artificial intelligence.
The case began in 2006 when the CBI registered a case against several people, including Ramanujam Muthuramalingam Sekhar, R.M. Sekhar, Indo Marks Pvt. Ltd., and BTC Home Products Pvt. Ltd. The group was accused of entering into a conspiracy between 2002 and 2005 to cheat the State Bank of India, Overseas Branch, Bengaluru, by taking loans worth Rs. 8 crore in the name of non-existent or fake companies.
The chargesheet was filed in December 2007, but the accused, Ramanujam Sekhar, R.M. Sekhar, and Mani M. Sekhar, did not appear in court or respond to legal summons. The court declared them Proclaimed Offenders in February 2009.
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Even though other accused were tried and convicted in this case, these three remained untraceable for years. CBI even offered a reward of Rs. 50,000 for any information. Investigators found that the absconders had changed their names and identities, using new mobile numbers, emails, PAN cards, and avoiding any link to their old KYC details.
CBI finally tracked them down by using Image Search Pro, an advanced facial recognition and analysis tool. By comparing old photographs with over 90% accuracy, the system helped identify their current faces and match them with earlier records.
One of the absconders, Ramanujam Sekhar, had already been caught in 2008 under a false identity. Now, Mani M. Sekhar has been arrested from Madhya Pradesh and produced before a Bengaluru court.
He is now in judicial custody, and the case will move forward for trial after almost 20 years of delay.
CBI says this arrest shows how new-age technology, combined with dedicated fieldwork, can help catch even long-time absconders and bring justice in financial crime cases.
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