The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two long-absconding proclaimed offenders in connection with bank fraud cases involving crores of rupees.
The arrested accused have been identified as Sanjay Sharma, also known by the aliases Sanjeev Dixit and Pankaj Bhardwaj, a resident of Banswara in Rajasthan, and Sheetal Sharma, also known as Aarti Sharma, from Vadodara, Gujarat.
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Declared Proclaimed Offenders in 2016–17
According to the CBI, Sanjay Sharma was accused in two separate bank fraud cases and was declared a proclaimed offender in 2016 and 2017. Sheetal Sharma was involved in one bank fraud case and was declared a proclaimed offender in August 2016.
Fraud Cases Involving PNB and Others
Two cases were registered against Sanjay Sharma.
- The first case, involving ₹9.95 crore, was registered in March 2013 against officials of Punjab National Bank (PNB), Sanjeev Dixit, Aarti Sharma, and other unidentified persons.
- The second case, involving ₹4 crore, was registered in July 2013 against Sanjay Sharma, Sanjiv Dixit, Indra Rani, and others.
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Accused Escaped from Custody in 2016
Sanjay Sharma had earlier been arrested by Haryana Police in March 2014, but he escaped from judicial custody while being produced before a court in Sonipat in July 2016, after which he remained on the run for several years.
Tracked Using Data Analytics and Intelligence
The CBI said it used advanced data analytics, open-source intelligence, mobile tracking, and financial transaction analysis to trace the accused. Investigators discovered that Sanjay Sharma was living under a fake identity and had changed his location multiple times to avoid arrest.
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Based on precise intelligence inputs, the CBI conducted a coordinated operation across two cities and successfully arrested both accused on January 30, 2026. During the arrest, they were found carrying forged identity documents, officials said.
Produced Before Court, Transit Warrants Issued
The accused were produced before a competent court, which granted transit remand for bringing them to Delhi. They will now be presented before the courts that had earlier issued proclamation orders against them.
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