Police have arrested a woman for allegedly cheating two residents of more than ₹1.45 crore by falsely promising to arrange a government subsidy loan under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP).
The accused, identified as Kaushalya, reportedly assured the victims that she could secure a ₹4 crore PMEGP subsidy loan and collected large sums of money over several months under the pretext of loan processing and documentation.
Complaint filed in Brahmavar
The complaint was lodged by Saritha Lewis (39), a resident of Herady, Barkur post, Yadtadi village in Brahmavar. Saritha stated that Kaushalya was introduced to her by Anjaline D’Silva in November 2023. Despite initial hesitation, Saritha was persuaded by Kaushalya’s confident assurances and false claims of influence within government and banking circles.
Over time, Kaushalya allegedly demanded money for various expenses, including file processing, approval fees, and government clearances. Trusting her, Saritha made multiple payments — both through bank transfers and in cash — to Kaushalya and her associates, identified as Sandesh (her husband), Prakash, Ashish Shetty, Rajendra Byndoor, Geeta, Harini, Navya, Kumar, Malathi, Praveen, Hariprasad, Nagaraj, and Bharati Singh.
According to the police, the total amount paid by Saritha amounted to ₹80.72 lakh.
Relative also cheated
Kaushalya reportedly extended the same offer to Saritha’s relative, Anjaline D’Silva, promising her a similar loan under the PMEGP scheme. Believing her, Anjaline also transferred ₹65 lakh through several instalments to the same group of people.
Together, the two victims lost a total of ₹1,45,72,000 to the accused and her accomplices.
Impersonation and deceit
Police sources said Kaushalya even impersonated a bank official over the phone to win the victims’ trust. She provided false documentation and continuous assurances that the loan was in its “final stage of approval,” before eventually disappearing.
Investigation underway
Following the complaint, a case was registered at the Brahmavar police station. Investigators traced and arrested Kaushalya, who is now in police custody for questioning.
Police said that efforts are on to identify and locate the other individuals involved in the scam. Officials have also appealed to the public to exercise caution and verify the authenticity of government schemes through official channels rather than through private intermediaries.
Authorities suspect that the accused may have targeted more victims in other districts using the same modus operandi.
Conclusion
The case highlights the growing number of cyber and financial frauds exploiting government schemes such as PMEGP. Police have urged citizens to report similar fraudulent offers immediately and avoid sharing personal or financial information with unverified agents.