Bengaluru: One arrested, FIR against five over alleged fraud of Rs. 25 crore
Bengaluru: An FIR has been registered against five people at the Basaveshwara Nagar police station on charges of cheating a businessman of approximately ₹25 crore by promising high profits and interest on investments in a casino and Bitcoin business. The police have arrested one of the accused.
Based on a complaint filed by the victim, Vivek P. Heggade, a case has been registered against Ramakrishna Rao, his wife Rajeshwari Rao, son Rahul Tonse, daughter Raksha Tonse, and son-in-law Chetan Narayan under the Prevention of Fraud and Unregulated Deposits Act (BUDS).
According to the police, the main accused, Ramakrishna Rao, has been arrested, while the other accused are currently absconding abroad. The investigation is ongoing.
The complainant, Vivek, who owns a logistics company, met Ramakrishna Rao through friends in 2023. Rahul Tonse and Chetan Narayan are involved in the casino business in Sri Lanka and Dubai. They allegedly approached Vivek for financial support to expand their business and convinced him to provide loans.
To gain his trust, Ramakrishna Rao took Vivek to a casino in Sri Lanka and introduced him to his son Rahul. Later, during a call from Dubai, he introduced his daughter and son-in-law, further persuading him to invest. According to Vivek’s complaint, the accused lured him by promising high returns through investments in casinos and Bitcoin.
The accused claimed that casinos in Dubai and Sri Lanka were profitable and that further expansion would generate even more revenue. They assured Vivek that a new casino, named City of Dreams, would be set up in Sri Lanka and promised him high returns if he invested. Believing their claims, Vivek provided loans amounting to ₹25 crore from 2023, expecting regular interest payments.
However, over time, when the promised interest was not paid, Vivek confronted them. He alleged that the accused verbally abused him and ultimately cheated him by taking his money under false promises.
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Actor Pravina Deshpande dies
Mumbai (PTI): Actor Pravina Deshpande, known for playing supporting characters in films such as “Ready”, “Gabbar is Back” and “D Day”, has died.
The actor's family shared the news in a post on her Instagram page, saying that Despande breathed her last on Tuesday.
“It is with great sadness that we inform you that Mrs Pravina Deshpande has left for her heavenly abode on 17th February 2026,” the note read.
According to media reports, Deshpande died after a prolonged battle with blood cancer at the age of 60. She is survived by her husband and two children.
Desphande worked extensively in Marathi theatre, shows and films. She gained wider recognition for her work in Hindi cinema.
Some of her popular shows and films were “Pariniti”, “Avagat”, “Ghar Ek Mandir”, “Kumkum - Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan”, “Ek Villian”, “Parmanu” The story of Pokhran”, among others.
She was last seen in the Netflix series, “Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web”.
The Cine and TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA), a trade union body of actors, wrote on X, “CINTAA expresses its condolences on the demise of Pravina Deshpande ji (member since 2008).”
Deshpande’s colleagues from the film industry also took to social media to express grief.
“Beautiful person. She’d met me in 2017 to audition for our film. It was a very pleasant experience," filmmaker Aditya Kriplani said on X.
Actor Vaishnavi Dhanraj said, “May her soul rest in peace.”
Her last rites were held on Tuesday afternoon at the Hindu crematorium, Chakala Parsiwada, in suburban Andheri.
