In a plot twist straight out of a Bollywood script, Tomy and Shiny, a Kerala couple running a chit fund in Bengaluru, have reportedly fled the city after allegedly swindling hundreds of investors of crores of rupees. The duo operated 'A&A Chits and Finance' from Ramamurthy Nagar for over 25 years, charming investors with promises of juicy monthly returns between 15 to 20 per cent — returns so tempting that many parted with their life savings, some even selling property to join the bandwagon.
For years, Tomy and Shiny played the perfect hosts, making timely payments and building unwavering trust. But much like a blockbuster with a sudden plot twist, payments abruptly stopped, and the couple disappeared off the radar, leaving a trail of worried depositors and unanswered phones.
The scheme's unravelling has echoes of the popular Bollywood comedy Phir Hera Pheri, where three hopeful investors put their faith—and bungalow—into a chit fund promising to double their money in 21 days, only to lose it all. Unfortunately for the Bengaluru victims, this wasn’t fiction but a harsh reality.
According to the FIR registered at Ramamurthy Nagar police station, Tomy and Shiny convinced people to invest funds meant for crucial expenses—children’s education, weddings, medical bills—making their betrayal all the more bitter. As the dust settled, the couple’s office was found shuttered and phones switched off, prompting a police manhunt to track down the fleeing fraudsters.
Initial investigations reveal that the firm was in deep financial trouble before the disappearance, with the couple allegedly liquidating their movable and immovable assets before vanishing. Over 300 investors have already approached the police, hoping for justice and the recovery of their hard-earned money.
The police are now combing through financial records and following leads to locate Tomy and Shiny, who seem to have perfected the art of the disappearing act. Meanwhile, the victims can only rue the day they believed in promises that were too good to be true — proving once again that in real life, unlike in Bollywood, there’s no guaranteed happy ending.
