Bengaluru: Karnataka police have registered a case against a Malayali couple, owners of a chit fund firm, on charges of cheating and fraud. Ramamurthy Nagar police registered a case based on a complaint filed by a customer named Savio P T. The accused, Tomy A Varghese and his wife Shiny Tomy, owned A & A Chits and Finance at Ramamurthy Nagar, Bengaluru. They are currently absconding. The institution also has a branch office at Surathkal, Mangalore.  Surathkal police said that they have not received any complaints against the couple till Monday.

Tomy and Shiny have been booked under relevant sections of the BUDS act ( Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes) and on charges of cheating. According to the complaint, an amount of ₹70 lakh was deposited in four bank accounts; two belonged to Shiny and Tomy, while one account was of the financial institution.

An official with Ramamurthy Nagar police said that at present one complaint has been received and the police are collecting statements from other depositors. 

Tomy hails from Ramankary in Alappuzha, while Shiny is a native of Pala. Alappuzha police stated that Tomy's ancestral house is currently vacant and in a state of disrepair. He has a brother and two sisters. "Till now, we have not received any information from Karnataka police," said an official with Alappuzha police. Tomy's family currently resides in Changanassery.