Mumbai: Film Producer Duped of ₹30 Lakh on Pretext of Arranging ₹15 Crore Loan

A case of cheating has come to light in Andheri West where a production house’s managing director and film producer was allegedly duped of nearly ₹30 lakh by five persons who promised to arrange a ₹15 crore loan for film production. Based on the complaint, Amboli Police have registered a case of fraud and begun an investigation.

According to police, the complainant, Narendra Sahu (54), is a resident of the Lokhandwala area in Andheri West and the Managing Director of Sukrana Motion Pictures Pvt. Ltd., a production house involved in making films, music albums and advertisements. Sahu was preparing to produce a Hindi film titled “Mutra Visarjan Varjit Hai” and required around ₹15 crore in financing for the project.

During this time, his acquaintance Ismail Khan introduced him to Venkata Raghuveer Rallabandi, a finance broker based in Hyderabad. In March 2025, Rallabandi visited Mumbai along with his son Ram Sushen and met Sahu. He allegedly claimed that he had contacts with major financiers and could easily arrange a loan of ₹15 crore for the film.

Subsequently, Rallabandi introduced Sahu to three more persons — Omprakash Charan, Anil Kumar, and Gaurav Krishnan. The accused allegedly demanded money in the name of loan processing and signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Later, they continued to collect money on various pretexts such as documentation, indemnity bond and loan insurance.

According to the complainant, between March 26 and April 28, 2025, a total of ₹22.30 lakh was transferred in multiple transactions to the bank account of RV Trading Company. Additionally, ₹7.53 lakh was paid to cover hotel stays and other personal expenses of Rallabandi and his son.

On April 7, 2025, the accused allegedly handed over two cheques worth ₹15 crore, but the cheques did not have dates mentioned on them. Later, the promised loan amount was not credited to Sahu’s account within the stipulated time.

When Sahu tried to contact the accused, they reportedly stopped answering his calls and became unreachable. Realising that he had been cheated, he approached Amboli Police Station and lodged a complaint against the five accused.

Police have registered a case and are currently searching for the accused. Bank transactions and other related documents are also being examined as part of the investigation.