Chennai, Sept 12:
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) has arrested two men who had been absconding for nearly 17 years in connection with a cheque fraud case involving the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC).
The suspects, identified as Prathap (41) of Kumbakonam and his associate Arjunan (50) of MG Nagar in Taramani, were arrested separately. Prathap was arrested on August 31, while Arjunan was secured on Thursday. Both were subsequently remanded in judicial custody.
The case dates back to 2009, when the duo were working together at a private bank in Chennai. An LIC manager attached to the Anna Salai office lodged a complaint following the alleged fraud.
According to the complaint, a maturity cheque for Rs 3.22 lakh issued to LIC policyholder V Vijayakumar was sent to his address in Sowcarpet. The suspects allegedly intercepted the cheque, forged documents in Vijayakumar’s name and impersonated him to withdraw and misappropriate the money from a bank.
Police said Prathap had opened a bank account using a false name to encash the cheque. He had also submitted a black-and-white photograph while opening the account.
The photograph became a major hurdle in the investigation as it could not be matched with government records, where Prathap had submitted different photographs. The case remained unsolved for several years as the suspects continued to remain at large.
A breakthrough came when the same black-and-white photograph used by Prathap was found in a document submitted to the Income Tax Department. This enabled the CCB’s Video Piracy Cell and Conventional Crime Investigation Wing to trace his old address and subsequently track him down.
During interrogation, Prathap allegedly provided information about his associate, leading the police to Arjunan. The CCB then arrested him and brought both accused into the investigation after nearly 17 years.