Bengaluru – In a fresh development linked to a high-profile family, the Basaveshwarnagar Police have arrested Ramakrishna Rao, the father of Rahul Tonse—a businessman previously linked to the infamous sandalwood drugs case—for allegedly cheating a city-based businessman of Rs25 crore.
Rao has been named the prime accused in a fraudulent scheme that involved promising lucrative returns through casino investments. According to the FIR, the accused convinced the victim to invest in what were claimed to be legal casino ventures abroad, only to later vanish without fulfilling any of the promised returns.
The police have also named Ramakrishna Rao’s wife, Rajeshwari, their daughter Raksha Tonse, and son-in-law Chetan Narayan in the case. All three, along with Rahul Tonse, are currently absconding, and efforts are underway to track their whereabouts.
Police sources say that the scam may have deeper connections, potentially tying back to earlier financial irregularities involving the family. The investigation is ongoing, and multiple agencies are expected to join the probe, given the scale of the fraud.
Authorities are examining financial records, foreign transactions, and previous allegations involving Rahul Tonse, who was previously named in the sandalwood drug trafficking probe that shook the Kannada film industry.
An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating and criminal breach of trust. Police say more victims may come forward as the case unfolds.
