Mumbai: Banker arrested in Rs 72.5 lakh fraud case

Accused linked his personal email ID and mobile number to the victim’s account fraudulently. Representation Pic/istock

The West Region Cyber Police have arrested Rahul Tejasingh, a Jaipur-based banker, for his alleged involvement in a Rs 72.5 lakh investment fraud. Tejasingh, who previously worked at RBL Bank and is currently employed at Kotak Bank, is accused of misusing his position to siphon funds from a customer's account.

According to investigators, while working at RBL Bank, Tejasingh opened a bank account for a customer, Saddam Asgar Hussain, and linked his personal email ID and mobile number to the account without authorisation. Using this access, he fraudulently transferred Rs 30.3 lakh to himself.

The Cyber Police tracked Tejasingh to Pratap Nagar, Jaipur. He was produced before a Jaipur Magistrate Court and subsequently brought to Mumbai. Tejasingh was later presented before the Bandra court, which granted custody. The fraud, first reported in September 2024, involved a 54-year-old retired Air Force officer who was duped into investing Rs 72.5 lakh. The victim said he was added to a WhatsApp group named Marvel Capital on July 7, 2024.

The group's administrator, Christian Lassonde, promised 100 per cent returns. The victim was instructed to open an account on a website (https://www.vsesslpza.vip) and subsequently invested over Rs 72 lakh between July and September 2024. However, when he was unable to withdraw his funds, he realised he had been defrauded and filed an FIR with the cyber cell on September 23, 2024.

The cyber cell team investigated the case for three months and discovered that Tejasingh had opened a fake account to facilitate the fraud. A significant portion of the stolen funds was transferred to this account. "Tejasingh was one of the beneficiaries of the fraud. He exploited his position as a banker and is suspected to be part of a larger syndicate," an officer from the cyber cell said.

The police have recovered 34 chequebooks of RBL Bank belonging to different customers, along with several chequebooks from IndusInd Bank and four ATM cards of RBL Bank. It is suspected that the accused is part of a larger syndicate involved in fraudulent activities.