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Bid to destroy records?Fire at BOB branch under police scanner in ₹12 cr scam
“The timing of the fire and the scale of the fraud have raised certain questions. We are looking at whether any documents linked to forged fixed deposits or unauthorised withdrawals were destroyed,” a senior officer said, requesting anonymity.
A fire that broke out here at the Mohan Road branch of Bank of Baroda (BOB) on November 25, 2025, destroying key documents, is now being probed alongside a ₹12-crore alleged embezzlement that surfaced at the same branch two months later. Police are examining whether the blaze was an attempt to wipe out evidence of the alleged fraud.
The case involves Bank Mitra Shiva Rao, against whom over 100 victims have so far filed complaints of alleged fund siphoning. Three fresh arrests were made on Sunday, taking the total number of accused in custody to five.
“The timing of the fire and the scale of the fraud have raised certain questions. We are looking at whether any documents linked to forged fixed deposits or unauthorised withdrawals were destroyed,” a senior officer said, requesting anonymity.
The case surfaced on January 16, 2026, after 25 victims lodged complaints at the Para police station, accusing Rao and others of siphoning funds from their accounts. Complainants have also held protests outside the bank on different occasions, disrupting work.
Police arrested Rao and his associate Deepak Kumar in the first week after the case came to light. On Sunday, three more accused were arrested: Rao’s wife, Bhagya Rani; his mother, Kara Nirmala; and his employee, Vikas Kumar. Over ₹12 crore in suspicious transactions were traced through accounts linked to the accused, allegedly to layer and conceal the proceeds of crime.
“During searches, police recovered ₹47,060 in cash, gold and silver ornaments, silver utensils and coins, along with three mobile phones, a laptop and a printer allegedly used to generate forged fixed deposit receipts,” said Suresh Singh, SHO Para.
A four-wheeler vehicle suspected of being purchased with the allegedly siphoned funds was also impounded.
Officials said they are scrutinising additional bank accounts and examining the possible involvement of branch insiders, noting that a fraud of this scale was unlikely to have been executed without internal support. The fire incident and the financial trail are now being probed together, police said.
