Two men wanted in multi-crore fraud case caught after 8 years in Rajasthan

Jaipur, Sep 8 (PTI) The Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested two men wanted for their alleged role in a multi-crore fraud case involving a cooperative society and absconding for the past eight years.

IG ATS Vikas Kumar said on Monday that the accused had been on the run since 2017 and carried a reward of Rs 25,000 each announced by the Jalore police.

The accused, Shailendra Singh and Rishiraj, both natives of Barmer district, were staying in Jaipur's Jhotwara area by concealing their identity.

Shailendra Singh worked as a homoeopathic doctor while Rishiraj, who had earlier been arrested in four cases in 2014, also lived in disguise. They have more than 30 pending cases against them.

He said the Sarvodaya Cooperative Society started operations in 2008-09 with 28 branches across Sirohi, Pali and Jalore. By 2012-13, the society stopped returning principal amounts and dividends to investors.

Several office-bearers, including the founder and managing director, have already been arrested, but Shailendera Singh and Rishiraj had managed to evade arrest for nearly eight years.

Kumar said ATS teams had been monitoring hawala networks in Jaipur over concerns of possible terror funding. Leads from one such transaction pointed to the accused's hideout in Jhotwara.

"After several days of surveillance, ATS officials approached Singh's residence posing as patients seeking homoeopathic treatment and nabbed both accused from a flat Jhotwara," he said. Further investigation is underway, the IG said. PTI SDA SKY SKY