Bank Dy. Manager held in Bengaluru for cheating elderly couple of Rs. 50 lakh

Mysuru-based bank officer used money on vacations, leisure, personal expenses and to repay boyfriend’s debts

Bengaluru: The Girinagar Police in Bengaluru arrested a Deputy Manager of a private bank on Saturday for allegedly cheating a senior citizen of Rs. 50 lakh, using the money for vacations, leisure and repaying debts.

The accused has been identified as 31-year-old P.V. Meghana from Mysuru, who worked as a Deputy Manager at IndusInd Bank’s Girinagar branch in Bengaluru.

Along with Meghana, the Police arrested her friend Shivaprasad, Anwar Ghouse and Varadaraju (aged between 30-35). Varadaraju owns  a resort in Ankola, Uttara Kannada district.

Meghana had gained the trust of 76-year-old Savithramma and her husband

78-year-old Basavarajaiah, residents of Banashankari 3rd Stage, who maintained a joint savings and Fixed Deposit accounts at the bank. She regularly assisted them with banking transactions, gaining access to their account details.

Knowing that their children lived elsewhere, Meghana learned that in January 2025, the couple sold a house in Chamarajapet and deposited Rs. 50 lakh into their savings account. This prompted her to devise a plan to siphon the funds.

Signed cheque, documents

On Feb. 12, Meghana suggested to Savithramma that transferring the funds to a new Fixed Deposit would earn higher interest and assured her that she would visit their home to collect the necessary documents.

On Feb. 13, Meghana visited Savithramma’s house, deceitfully obtained a signed cheque and documents, and on the same day, transferred Rs. 50 lakh to Anwar Ghouse’s account via RTGS, the Police confirmed.

On Feb. 14, Anwar Ghouse withdrew Rs. 30 lakh, handing it over to Meghana and her friend Shivaprasad, who then travelled to Ankola. Meghana and her friend allegedly used part of the money for a trip to Gokarna before returning to Bengaluru.

Fraud comes to light

On Feb. 27, Savithramma’s son, Chennamallikarjuna, visited her home. While checking his father’s mobile phone, he was shocked to see a transaction message of Rs. 50 lakh transferred via RTGS to Anwar Ghouse’s account.

When he questioned his mother, she informed him that Meghana had obtained her signatures on some documents.

The next day, Chennamallikarjuna and Savithramma confronted Meghana at the bank, who initially tried to cover up the fraud by presenting a form supposedly signed by Savithramma, falsely claiming it authorised the transfer.

Realising the deception, the family immediately contacted the Cybercrime Helpline (1930) and filed a Police complaint. The Girinagar Police registered a case under Sections 316 (Criminal Breach of Trust) and 318 (Cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya  Sanhita (BNS).

Investigators froze the remaining Rs. 20 lakh in Anwar Ghouse’s account. Meghana was arrested from Kerala, where she admitted to misappropriating the funds to repay her boyfriend’s debts and personal expenses. Later, Shivaprasad was arrested in Bengaluru. Anwar Ghouse and Varadaraju were arrested in Ankola, who denied any role in the fraud. All four accused have been remanded in Judicial Custody and the Police suspect that the money was transferred to Ghouse’s account for a quick investment scheme, intending to return it later.