CBI Arrests Proclaimed Offender Roop Singh After 23 Years in 1998 Goods Theft Case
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday arrested Roop Singh, a proclaimed offender who had been absconding for nearly 23 years in connection with the criminal misappropriation of commercial goods worth approximately Rs 9 lakh in Amalner, Maharashtra.
The case dates back to October 4, 1998, when an initial complaint was registered at Amalner Police Station regarding the alleged theft and misappropriation of consignments of ghee and mung loaded onto two trucks. The original complaint alleged that on September 27, 1998, two truck drivers, identified as Babu Khan and Aslam Khan, stole and misappropriated the transported goods.
The High Court of Judicature of Bombay at Aurangabad later transferred the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation through an order dated February 25, 2002, arising from a criminal writ petition. Following the court order, the CBI Mumbai unit re-registered the case on April 5, 2002, against Babu Khan, Aslam Khan, and other associates.
Following its investigation, the central agency filed a chargesheet on December 19, 2003, before the Amalner Court against four individuals: Roop Singh, Arjun Singh, Babu Khan, and Aslam Khan. The charges included criminal conspiracy, abetment, and criminal misappropriation of property. Investigators found that Roop Singh and Arjun Singh had conspired with the two truck drivers to divert and misappropriate the goods, which had been intended for delivery to a third party.
During the trial proceedings, Roop Singh and Arjun Singh secured bail and subsequently absconded. Consequently, the competent court declared both men Proclaimed Offenders on November 11, 2010. The two truck drivers, Babu Khan and Aslam Khan, had remained absconding since the case was first registered.
Roop Singh was apprehended on Friday following sustained tracking efforts by the agency. His arrest follows the earlier apprehension of co-accused Arjun Singh, who was arrested by the CBI on November 7, 2025, after evading authorities for nearly 22 years.
A CBI official stated that the arrest of Roop Singh marks a significant step forward in resolving the long-pending case and reflects the agency's continued efforts to trace and apprehend absconding offenders.
