The Shivamogga police have arrested a city resident on charges of duping several people by opening mule accounts and using them for illegal financial activities.
The arrested person, Sharath alias Gunda, a resident of Tunga Nagar in the city, was running several mullah accounts under different names and recording transactions totaling over ₹11.48 crore, according to the police.
“According to a complaint from a resident of the city, the Shivamogga CEN police registered a case of alleged cheating on February 6 and started an investigation. They managed to track down the accused and arrested him a few days ago.”
During interrogation, the police found that he operated 19 mule accounts in different banks. The police have compiled data showing that 96 people from across the country have lodged complaints against these accounts, believing the frauds totaling over ₹55.43 crore.
Among other things, the police found 18 passbooks, seven checkbooks and 25 ATM cards in his house. They found that a total of ₹11.48 crore was sold through these accounts during the preliminary investigation. The accused was taken into judicial custody.
Shivamogga SP Nikhil B. told The Hindu that the accused was part of a large network spread across the country. “It is a huge network with many people involved in fraud and illegal transfer of funds at various levels. Our personnel have been able to arrest the accused who were operating multiple accounts. The network is spread across the country and beyond,” said Nikhil B. He also appreciated the efforts of Police Inspector Manjunath and his team in the investigation.
Published – 8 Feb 2026 19:50 IST