Bengaluru man arrested for cheating businessman promising investment in casinos

Bengaluru: Basaveshwar Nagar police have arrested the father of Rahul Thonse, who was previously an accused in the infamous Sandalwood Drugs case, for cheating a city-based businessman of Rs 25 crore by promising investments in Casinos.

The arrested is Ramakrishna Rao, who was named accused 1 in the FIR. His son Rahul, who was named as accused 4, is currently at large and is likely hiding in Sri Lanka, the police suspect.

The others named in the FIR are Rao’s wife Rajeshwari, daughter Raksha Thonse and son-in-law Chetan Narayan. The police have booked the case under Sections 316(2) (Criminal breach of trust), 318 (4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the relevant section of the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act.

According to Vivek P Hegde, the victim from Basaveshwar Nagar, the scam occurred between February 7, 2023, and February 4, 2025. Hegde told the police that Rao conspired with Rahul, Raksha and others and cheated him and his friends of Rs 25.50 crore.

During the first meeting on February 7, 2023, Hegde told the police that Rao, who he met through his friend Naveen Kothari, claimed Raksha and Chetan owned tables at the Bellagio Colombo Casino in Sri Lanka and the business was overseen by Rahul.

After subsequent phone calls with Chetan, Hegde allegedly wired Rahul Rs 30 lakh on March 18, 2023. On April 22, 2023, Hegde, along with his Kothari travelled to Sri Lanka at the behest of Rahul, the FIR noted.

Here, Rahul allegedly had people on his payroll to portray him as the owner of the Casino in Colombo. Rahul also claimed that he had a private chef and the Casino supplied him with cars based on his needs, the FIR noted.

Hegde also cited other similar instances that prompted him to invest Rs 3.50 crore and Rs 22 crore from his friends. He also claimed, as per the FIR, that he came to know later about Rahul’s arrest in the drugs case and when he asked about the money, was threatened by the suspects.