Udupi: Manipal Police have arrested six employees of an e-mobility company for allegedly diverting passenger fares collected through a fake QR code at the Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) campus, causing an estimated loss of around Rs 12 lakh to the company.
The case involves Indeanta E-Mobility Pvt Ltd, which operates battery-operated vehicles to transport students and parents within the MIT campus in Shivalli village, Udupi taluk.
According to the complaint filed by the company’s human resources manager, the alleged irregularities began on April 1, 2026. Seven employees were accused of collecting passenger payments through a QR code that was not authorised by the company.
Police arrested six of the accused on October 2 and produced them before the jurisdictional court. The investigation is continuing.
Fake QR code allegedly used to collect fares
The company operates battery-powered vehicles on the MIT campus to provide transportation services to students and parents.
As per the complaint, some employees allegedly stopped using the company’s authorised QR code for collecting passenger fares. Instead, they are accused of creating a separate transaction account and using a personal merchant QR code.
Passengers allegedly made payments through this unauthorised QR code believing that they were paying for the transportation service.
The complaint alleges that the money collected through the separate QR code was subsequently diverted to a bank account linked to Aishwarya, the wife of accused Muthanna Adinavar.
The complainant further alleged that the accused shared the money among themselves, resulting in a financial loss of approximately Rs 12 lakh to the e-mobility company.
Six employees arrested
Based on the complaint, Manipal Police registered a case and began investigating the alleged financial irregularities.
PSI (Investigation) Shambhulingayya M. and the Manipal Police team subsequently arrested six persons on October 2.
The arrested accused have been identified as:
- Siddamurthy G., 29
- Shivraj Naik, 30
- Sudeep, 30
- Jitesh L. Kanchan, 29
- Muthanna Adinavar, 32
- M.B. Avinash, 24
Police produced the accused before the jurisdictional court after their arrest. The investigating team subsequently obtained their custody for further investigation.
Company alleges financial loss of Rs 12 lakh
The alleged fraud centres on the difference between the company’s authorised payment mechanism and the QR code allegedly used by the employees.
Instead of passenger fares being credited through the company’s designated system, the complaint alleges that payments were routed through an unauthorised merchant account.
The company estimated that the amount diverted through the alleged arrangement was around Rs 12 lakh.
Investigators are expected to examine the transaction records, bank accounts, QR-code details and payment history to establish the amount collected and determine the role of each accused.
The investigation will also have to establish when the alleged diversion began, how frequently the QR code was used and how the money was subsequently distributed.
Police investigate role of each accused
Although seven employees were named in the complaint, six people have so far been arrested in connection with the case.
The police investigation is expected to establish the individual roles of the accused and determine whether other people were involved in the alleged transaction arrangement.
Financial records are likely to form an important part of the investigation, particularly because the alleged payments were made electronically.
The police may also examine passenger payment records and compare them with the company’s official collection records to determine the extent of the alleged discrepancy.
E-mobility services at MIT campus
The case relates to the battery-operated vehicles used to transport students and parents within the MIT campus.
Such campus mobility services are increasingly dependent on digital payment systems, including QR-code-based transactions.
While digital payments provide convenience for passengers, the case highlights the importance of ensuring that customers can easily identify authorised payment channels and that operators maintain adequate monitoring of transaction accounts.
For companies operating campus transportation services, reconciliation of daily collections with digital payment records can also help identify irregularities at an early stage.
Investigation remains under way
The arrested persons have been taken into police custody for further investigation following the court proceedings.
The police will now investigate the alleged transaction trail and determine whether the accusations made in the complaint are supported by documentary and digital evidence.
The Rs 12 lakh figure is the approximate loss alleged by the company in its complaint and will be subject to verification during the investigation.
The accused are presumed innocent unless and until their guilt is established through the judicial process.
Conclusion
Udupi: Manipal Police have arrested six employees of an e-mobility company in connection with an alleged Rs 12 lakh fraud involving passenger payments collected through an unauthorised QR code at the MIT campus.
The company alleged that employees created a separate merchant QR code and diverted passenger fares to an account linked to the wife of one of the accused before sharing the money among themselves. Six persons have been arrested and taken into police custody for further investigation.
The police are examining transaction records and the individual roles of those accused as the investigation continues.