Mule account racket busted, 12 held
Bengaluru (PTI): An organised mule account racket was busted with the arrest of 12 persons who allegedly opened bank accounts illegally in the names of unsuspecting members of the public and used them for fraud and online betting activities, police said.
The accused opened bank accounts and procured SIM cards in the same names and passed them on for illegal gain, they said.
"Two persons were opening bank accounts in the names of the public, purchasing SIM cards in their names and supplying the bank accounts and SIM cards to another person based in Dubai for illegal profit and to facilitate illegally run gambling applications," the police said in a release on late Wednesday.
According to the police, the operation began after credible information was received on November 28, 2025, following which a case was registered at Hulimavu Police Station.
Acting on leads, the police secured two suspects near an apartment at Anjanapura in JP Nagar Ninth Phase on November 29, 2025.
"On interrogation, both the persons admitted their involvement in the case," police said.
The two were produced before a court on November 30 and taken into police custody for 10 days.
During questioning, the accused revealed that they lured financially needy persons by offering commission to open bank accounts and cheated them, adding that 10 more associates were involved.
Based on their information, police conducted searches on December 3 and seized 206 debit cards, 23 mobile phones, 531 grams of gold jewellery, Rs 4.89 lakh in cash, nine watches, 36 SIM cards, 23 cheque books, 21 passbooks, a laptop, an online digital payment ring and a cryptocurrency-related book.
Further investigation led to the arrest of 10 associates from a premises in Rajendra Nagar, Delhi, on December 17.
Police seized additional debit cards, mobile phones and laptops from them and brought them to Bengaluru after court permission.
Overall, the police said they have seized 242 debit cards, 58 mobile phones, 531 grams of gold jewellery, Rs 4.89 lakh in cash, nine watches, 33 cheque books, 21 passbooks, seven laptops, an online digital payment ring, a cryptocurrency book and 48 SIM cards, with the total value pegged at Rs one crore.
"The prime accused in the case is absconding and efforts are on to trace him. Further investigation is in progress," police added.
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UP: Rats spotted in orthopaedic ward of Gonda medical college; probe ordered
Gonda (PTI): A video showing rats moving freely inside the orthopaedic ward of the Gonda medical college here has surfaced on social media, prompting the district magistrate to order a probe into the incident.
The video, reportedly recorded by patients admitted at the autonomous institution and said to be around two days old, shows at least five large rats scurrying inside the ward, including on patients' beds, tables and near the oxygen pipeline, causing panic.
Taking cognisance of the clip, District Magistrate Priyanka Niranjan directed medical college principal Dhananjay Shrikant Kotasthane to take immediate and strict action.
Following the directions, anti-rodent medicines were sprayed in the wards. The district administration has also ordered a detailed inquiry into the incident.
The principal said food brought into wards by patients' attendants attracts rats. He assured that no negligence regarding patient safety would be tolerated.
He said that after spraying medicines across all wards, rats have disappeared, though the matter is still being investigated.
The medical college administration has also announced several preventive measures. Under the new rules, only one attendant per patient will be allowed inside wards except during visiting hours, and entry of multiple attendants has been restricted. Carrying large quantities of food items inside wards has also been prohibited.
Medical Superintendent D N Singh said instructions have been issued to launch a comprehensive cleanliness drive in all wards.
