A trusted driver employed by actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar’s family has been accused of defrauding the household of nearly ₹12 lakh. The accused, Naresh Singh (35), worked for Akhtar’s mother, renowned screenwriter Honey Irani. He allegedly misused multiple credit cards issued in Farhan Akhtar’s name, using them to pocket cash rather than purchase fuel.
According to Mumbai Police, Naresh didn’t act alone. He allegedly collaborated with Arun Singh (52), an employee at a petrol pump near Bandra Lake. Instead of refueling vehicles, the two would swipe the credit cards at the pump and pocket the money. Arun would deduct a commission of ₹1,000–₹1,500 per transaction before handing over the rest to Naresh.
The fraud came to light on October 1 when Irani’s manager, Diya Bhatia (36), noticed discrepancies in fuel expenses. She flagged an entry that showed a Maruti car with a 35-litre diesel tank had been filled with 621 litres — an obvious red flag. Digging deeper, she discovered that three different cards had been used, and that oil had been purchased for a vehicle the family sold seven years ago.
When questioned, Naresh initially claimed he had used only one card. However, under further scrutiny and during a meeting with Honey Irani, he confessed. According to the FIR, Naresh admitted to having acquired the cards in 2022 from Farhan Akhtar’s former driver, Santosh Kumar. He then used them regularly to carry out the fraudulent scheme with Arun’s help.
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Mumbai Police have registered a case under Sections 318 (criminal breach of trust), 418 (cheating), and 3(5) (general provisions) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Investigations into the extent of the fraud are ongoing.
