Representative image of a registered FIR.
Credit: iStock Photo
Bengaluru: A British national of Indian origin allegedly cheated a Bengaluru businessman of Rs 2.95 crore by luring him into investing in a bogus software development delivery centre in the city.
The 49-year-old victim from Maruthi Nagar, whose identity has been withheld, told DH that Manoj Veetil, the suspect, claimed ties to a prominent university and posed as a "high scholar" and "successful businessman".
The victim said he first met Veetil in 2019 through Clara from Canada. Both had explored launching a flying school in Bengaluru, but the project failed for want of investment.
In 2023, Veetil reconnected over WhatsApp.
"He claimed to be a Consultant Enterprise Architect for Ahold PLC and Turkish Airlines, managing two software projects worth USD 3 million each. He shared technical documents and sought help to raise Indian capital, proposing a software development centre in Bengaluru with about 200 employees," the victim said.
Veetil shared a copy of his British passport and proposed starting a UK company with the victim and his friend as directors. The victim later discovered Veetil had removed them by forging signatures.
Between October 2024 and January 2025, the victim transferred Rs 2.95 crore to Veetil’s Bank of Scotland and TSB Bank accounts, purportedly for payroll.
Veetil later claimed he would bring a technical team to India in March to begin project deployment. On March 4, his phone was switched off and the victim lost contact.
"He sent several technical documents and posed as a high scholar and successful businessman with influential contacts, leading me to trust him. He also explained the project in video calls," the victim told DH.
On March 11, complaints were filed with the Metropolitan Police and Action Fraud in the UK. The victim also lodged a complaint in Bengaluru on November 27.
The Northeast Cybercrime Police have registered an FIR and begun investigation.