Mumbai Police have arrested Naresh Singh, the driver of veteran screenwriter and actress Honey Irani, in connection with a Rs12 lakh fraud involving misuse of family credit cards registered under her son, actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar.
The fraud was uncovered on October 1 by Irani’s manager, Diya Bhatia, during a routine audit. Suspicious fuel transactions involving Irani’s Maruti vehicle—which has a 35-litre tank—revealed diesel charges for a shocking 621 litres.
Further investigation found repeated high-value transactions at a Bandra West petrol pump using three credit cards registered under Farhan Akhtar’s name. When questioned, Singh gave inconsistent responses and eventually admitted to the scam during a confrontation with Irani and Bhatia.
The driver allegedly collaborated with Arun Singh, a 52-year-old petrol pump employee, to swipe the cards without actually filling fuel. Instead, Naresh would receive cash while Arun kept a commission of Rs1,000–Rs1,500 per transaction.
The cards, it was revealed, had been handed over to Naresh in 2022 by Santosh Kumar, Farhan Akhtar’s former driver.
An FIR has been filed under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including criminal breach of trust and cheating. While Naresh Singh has been arrested, Arun Singh is currently absconding, and the investigation is ongoing to determine the full scope of the fraud.
