A branch manager who had been dodging arrest for years in a massive Sahara India investment fraud case has finally been caught by police in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district. Vikas Kumar Saraf, who had been on the run for close to three years, was picked up as part of a special crackdown the Raigarh police call Operation Clean Hunt, aimed at tracking down economic offenders still at large.
How the Rs 40 Crore Fraud Came to Light
The scam first surfaced in 2022, when an investor named Vikas Nigania filed a complaint at the Kotwali police station in Raigarh. He alleged that the manager of Sahara India, along with the company's directors, had conspired to cheat investors out of their savings. Nigania himself had lost around Rs 40 lakh, while a further 3,848 investors had roughly Rs 40.78 crore siphoned off in the same scheme.
What the Police Investigation Uncovered
Acting on Nigania's complaint, police registered an FIR and opened an investigation. The probe found that company officials had systematically pocketed the hard earned deposits of investors. Police have already arrested and jailed five people in connection with the case, including company directors Karne Awasthi and Om Prakash Sharma.
Four Years on the Run
Branch manager Vikas Kumar Saraf, however, managed to stay a step ahead of police for close to four years, repeatedly shifting locations. Teams carried out raid after raid searching for him without success. The break finally came when an informer tipped off police that Saraf had returned to Raigarh. Acting quickly, a police team laid a trap and detained him in the Kotrarod area.
Documents, a Bike and a Car Seized
Following his arrest, police recovered documents linked to the case from Saraf's possession, along with a motorcycle and a car that were seized. He has been booked under Section 420 (cheating) and Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC. Additional charges have also been filed against him under provisions of the Chhattisgarh Protection of Interest of Depositors Act and the Chit Fund Act.
What Happens Next
After questioning, Vikas Kumar Saraf was produced in court and sent to judicial remand. The arrest has raised fresh hope among the thousands of investors who have spent years waiting to recover their money. Police say they are now working to trace remaining aspects of the case and to track down the accused who are still absconding.
