A cyber fraud case involving a woman doctor in Karnataka, who was allegedly cheated of Rs 4.15 crore, has taken a new turn after investigators traced part of the money trail to a bank account linked to a priest from Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu.
Police said the 40-year-old doctor, based in Jamakhandi taluk of Bagalkot district, was contacted on her mobile phone in February 2025 and was lured with promises of high returns for investing in a company. Believing the claims, she transferred money in multiple instalments to 21 bank accounts, but neither profits nor the principal amount were returned.
After she filed a complaint with the cyber crime police, investigators examined the accounts that received the funds. They found that Rs 19 lakh had been transferred to an account named “Ram Travels”, and from there Rs 8 lakh was moved to the account of Rajinikumar (50), identified as a church priest from Kanyakumari.
Police issued notices asking him to appear for inquiry, but he allegedly failed to attend even after two notices. Citing fear of arrest, he sought anticipatory bail before the 51st Sessions Court in Bengaluru.
Rajinikumar denied any role in the fraud, stating that he runs a trust called “Jesus Liberance Ministry” at Jebamalai in Kanyakumari and that funds are collected from the public, for which he opened a bank account in Bengaluru. However, the court accepted the police’s objections and rejected his plea, with reports indicating he could be arrested at any time.
