Man wanted in multiple Mudra loan fraud cases arrested after 4 years on run

A man who had been absconding for nearly four years in connection with multiple Mudra loan fraud cases was arrested by the Central Zone of the Commissioner’s Task Force, Hyderabad, on Friday, August 1.

The accused, identified as Shaik Jani alias Harinath Rao, 34, a private employee, a resident of Saroornagar, was wanted in seven cases registered across the tri-commissionerates of Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Rachakonda.

According to the police, Jani, a native of Nakrekal in Nalgonda district, moved to Hyderabad in 2011 in search of employment. He worked in various private firms but struggled financially, especially after losing his job during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. During this period, he came across videos on YouTube about government loan schemes and learned about the Mudra loan process.

Exploiting this knowledge, he devised a plan to defraud individuals, particularly women engaged in small-scale businesses, by offering to help them secure Mudra loans. Police said he collected money and original documents from unsuspecting victims under the pretext of facilitating the loans and then disappeared.

Seven cases have been registered against him under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Indian Penal Code (IPC), and the IT Act across police stations including IS Sadan, Meerpet, Chaitanyapuri, Vanasthalipuram, Neredmet, Saroornagar, and Alwal.

The police seized a car, a motorcycle, and two mobile phones from him. The accused, along with the seized material, was handed over to the IS Sadan police for further investigation.