MUMBAI: The Central Cyber Police have arrested a private bank’s former Chowpatty branch manager and an employee in connection with an alleged Rs 29.83 lakh fraud in which money was siphoned from the account of a deceased customer after her registered mobile number and email ID were allegedly changed using a forged customer request form.Police arrested former branch head Rahul Panjwani and employee Abhishek Verma on Monday. Another bank employee, Ram Pal, is absconding.The case came to light after the bank received a complaint about unauthorised changes to the mobile number and email ID linked to the account of late Vimla Patil.An internal inquiry found that the details had been changed in July 2025 through a customer request form submitted at the Tardeo branch. The signatures on the form allegedly did not match those in the bank’s records.During the inquiry, Verma allegedly told the bank that Panjwani had instructed him to make the changes. The altered details were then allegedly used to access Patil’s account and prematurely close two fixed deposits worth Rs 14.87 lakh.The proceeds were transferred through RTGS, NEFT, UPI, IMPS and mobile banking to several accounts. Three RTGS transactions of Rs 5 lakh each were allegedly sent to an account in another bank.The transaction trail also showed payments to jewellery outlets. Chimaji Adhav, senior inspector of the Central Cyber police confirmed the arrest.The bank has alleged that Panjwani, Verma and Ram Pal conspired to prepare the customer request form in the name of the deceased customer and forged her signature. Police are probing the alleged conspiracy, money trail and role of the absconding accused.
