Runaway fraudster arrested after 19 years

Latur, Nov 24 (PTI) A 53-year-old man, who had been on the run for 19 years in a fraud case, was arrested in Latur district of Maharashtra, police said on Tuesday. The accused, identified as Abhang Prabhu alias Prabhakar Suryawanshi, is accused of cheating people by posing himself as the sarpanch of a village and preparing fake birth certificates for children.

A case was registered against him on June 14, 2006, at Gandhi Chowk police station under various sections of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code (IPC) for cheating and other charges, a police official said.

Suryawanshi changed his locations frequently, making it difficult for investigators to trace him. He travelled from village to village, falsely identifying himself as the sarpanch of a gram panchayat.

"He allegedly prepared fake birth certificates and cheated several citizens. He collected blank birth certificate forms of children, forged signatures and stamps, and issued fake documents", police said.

Recently, a special team received confidential information that the accused was staying in the Bobli (Bk) area in Latur district, following which a raid was conducted on Sunday. PTI COR NSK