Fraud of crores using names of politicos: 3 arrested

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) police have arrested three individuals, including a woman, for allegedly defrauding the public of crores of rupees using the names of politicians. The accused have been identified as Rekha (38), her husband Manjunathchari (40), and their friend Chetan (35). Recently, a case was registered on a complaint by a person named Nisar Ahmed, who was allegedly defrauded of Rs 6 crore.

The police have confirmed the arrest of the accused. Among them, Rekha had connections with private banks and finance companies and worked as a loan provider. Nisar Ahmed had contacted Rekha to secure a loan. Rekha allegedly lured Nisar by claiming she had access to a large sum of money. She told him, “I was an eyewitness to the Carlton Tower fire disaster in 2009, and the owner and others had deposited Rs 25 crore without providing evidence. To get rid of it, I have to pay taxes. If you give me Rs 1 crore, I will return Rs 5 crore.” Believing her, Nisar transferred Rs 5.75 crore to Rekha’s account. Later, when Rekha demanded more money, Nisar grew suspicious and discovered she was a fraud. Rekha even allegedly threatened him when he questioned her. Nisar filed a complaint with the police, leading to her arrest. Police investigations revealed that Rekha has over 80 fraud cases registered against her in various police stations across the state, including Bengaluru.

There are also reports of fraud cases in the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh. Rekha allegedly defrauded people using the names of politicians, including a former MLA from North Karnataka. She would take photos with sitting MLAs and ministers, pretending to be acquainted with them, and then use these photos to convince businessmen of her connections. She promised government jobs and extorted money from them. The police are continuing their investigation into the case.