Mumbai: The Central Cyber Police have arrested a former bank branch manager and an employee in connection with an alleged ₹29.83 lakh fraud, in which funds were siphoned from the account of a deceased customer after her registered mobile number and email ID were allegedly changed using a forged customer request form.
Bank staff arrested in fraud case
The arrested accused have been identified as Rahul Panjwani, former branch head of a private bank's Chowpatty branch, and Abhishek Verma, an employee of the bank. Police are also searching for another person allegedly involved in the fraud.
According to the complaint filed by the bank, the fraud came to light after a complaint was received regarding unauthorised changes made to the mobile number and email ID linked to the account of late Vimla Patil. An internal inquiry by the bank allegedly revealed that the customer's registered contact details were changed in July 2025 through a customer request form submitted at the bank's Tardeo branch. The signatures on the form reportedly did not match those available in the bank's records.
Funds allegedly transferred
During the inquiry, Verma allegedly told the bank that Panjwani had instructed him to change Patil's mobile number and email ID in July 2025. Police suspect that the altered credentials were subsequently used to gain access to Patil's account. Two fixed deposits, collectively worth around ₹14.87 lakh, were allegedly prematurely closed and the proceeds transferred through various banking channels.
The funds were allegedly routed through RTGS, NEFT, UPI, IMPS and mobile banking transactions to multiple accounts.
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Probe into alleged conspiracy
The Central Cyber Police are now investigating the alleged conspiracy, tracing the beneficiary accounts and transactions, and searching for the third accused. Further investigation is underway.
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