Retired IAS Officer Ramesh Thete Arrested in Nagpur Fraud, Cheque-Bounce Case

Retired IAS officer Ramesh S. Thete, who had been declared absconding by a Bhopal court, has been arrested from Nagpur in a fraud and cheque-bounce case. The arrest was carried out by the MP Nagar police of Bhopal with assistance from the local Beltarodi police in Nagpur.

The action took place on Wednesday in the Manish Nagar area of Nagpur. After his arrest, the police are bringing Thete to Bhopal. He will be questioned there before being produced before the court.

The case is linked to allegations of fraud and cheque bounce. A permanent arrest warrant had already been issued against Thete by a Bhopal court. The court had taken this step after he repeatedly remained absent during hearings and earlier warrants issued against him could not be executed.

The order was passed by the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Kalpana Kotwal on 23 March 2026. On that date, the court declared Ramesh Thete absconding and ordered the issuance of a permanent arrest warrant against him.

According to the court records, Thete had been given several opportunities to remain present during the proceedings. However, he did not appear before the court. Arrest warrants had also been issued against him earlier, but those warrants could not be served.

In its order sheet dated 23 March 2026, the court said that the circumstances indicated that the accused might be deliberately avoiding the execution of the arrest warrant. The complainant had also submitted an application before the court, stating that the accused had been continuously absent and was not appearing despite directions.

The court accepted the application and ordered the issuance of a permanent arrest warrant. The action was taken under Section 299 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, or CrPC, to declare Thete absconding.

Along with issuing the permanent arrest warrant to ensure his presence, the court also directed that the case proceedings be kept safely in the records. The order was passed after the court considered his repeated absence and the failure to execute the warrants issued earlier.

Information is also available about other cases against retired IAS officer Ramesh Thete. These cases are registered at the Habibganj and MP Nagar police stations in Bhopal, as well as with the Lokayukta.

In an FIR registered with the Lokayukta in February 2023, his wife Manda Thete was also named as an accused. The cases against Thete include references to disproportionate assets, bank-related fraud and cheque-bounce matters.

Thete belongs to the Madhya Pradesh cadre and is a retired IAS officer. Following his arrest in Nagpur, the Bhopal police will question him in connection with the cases linked to him. The police will then produce him before the court.

Further action in the matter will be taken according to the directions issued by the court.