12-Year Fugitive, Master of Disguise, Caught: Accused in ₹17 Crore Fraud Had Even Obtained Fake Passport

New Delhi: After allegedly defrauding Indian Overseas Bank, Pune, of ₹17 crore in 2013, Ashutosh Pandit disappeared without a trace. Known as the director of the private company “House of Laptops,” Pandit had evaded authorities for over a decade. By April 2018, a court had formally declared him a fugitive.

Disappearing Act Like a Magician

Pandit vanished as if performing a magician’s trick. Taking refuge in the sun-kissed coastal state of Goa, he assumed a new identity. Neighbors in the quiet Bambolim area knew him as Yatin Sharma, a law-abiding citizen, unaware of his past.

Fake Identity and Documents

Under his assumed name, Pandit had secured PAN and Aadhaar cards, creating an impenetrable web of false documentation. He even obtained a passport from Delhi, which he renewed without hesitation, and later procured another passport through the Goa passport office. These fraudulent documents allowed him to construct an entirely new life while legal proceedings in Pune remained stalled.

How the Fugitive Was Finally Traced

Despite 12 years of eluding authorities, the CBI’s hunt never stopped. The breakthrough came through NATGRID (National Intelligence Grid), which flagged subtle anomalies in data patterns. By correlating technical evidence with inputs from the intelligence grid, investigators traced Yatin Sharma’s digital footprint straight to Bambolim, Goa.

The long cat-and-mouse chase ended with a meticulously planned raid. CBI officers, leveraging years of investigation and advanced digital surveillance, finally apprehended the man who had thought he had outsmarted the system for over a decade. Pandit, stunned by the operation, now faces justice under his real identity.