16 years on, one of US’ most wanted child molester caught in UP’s Agra; was Bollywood producer too

Agra: Sixteen years after becoming America’s one of the most wanted criminals, 48-year-old child molester Ratnesh Bhutani absconding from Tustin was arrested Saturday from Agra by a joint team of Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UPSTF) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

As per US county police records, Ratnesh Bhutani was wanted for child molestation since 2006. He was charged with sodomy, a lewd act with a minor and penetration with a foreign object. He faces $500,000 bail back in Tustin.

As per UPSTF, the police received the request notification from Interpol in July 2022 after it had come to light that Bhutani was hiding somewhere in Uttar Pradesh.

Ravindra Kumar, STF inspector (Meerut) told Firstpost that they intercepted Bhutani near Canara Bank’s regional office in Agra.

During interrogation, he told cops that he first went to California in 1996 to work at Moshtac Cancer Lab and stayed with his uncle.

“He also married there and obtained green card. However, after the alleged incident of unnatural sex and illegal penetration, a complaint against him was lodged and subsequently he flew back to Mumbai and married a second time,” police reports said.

Bhutani after coming back to India entered Bollywood; he floated a production company under the name of Shri Keshav Films, the police report added.

“He also claimed to have produced a film called ‘Bolo Ram’ in which he launched his younger brother Rishi Bhutani as an actor in Bollywood,” said inspector Ravindra Kumar.

However, in 2014 the case that was registered in the US was transferred to CBI on the request of FBI, which prompted Bhutani to maintain a low profile, Kumar said.

Consequently, Bhutani ran from Mumbai and was living in hiding in Meerut, Gurugram and Agra, changing his location often.

Police tracked him down following a tip-off that Bhutani was running two resorts on the Delhi–Meerut Highway.

“Following the tip-off we obtained an arrest warrant from Patiala High Court and activated the human as well as digital intelligence,” said Kumar, adding Bhutani was hiding at one of his relative’s house in Agra from where he was arrested.

Bhutani has been sent to judicial custody.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.