Breach of Trust: Honey Irani’s Driver Accused of Long-Running Fuel Card Fraud

Mumbai Police have registered a case against Naresh Ramvinod Singh, the driver employed by veteran screenwriter Honey Irani—mother of actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar—for allegedly defrauding her of approximately Rs 12 lakh through the misuse of fuel cards over three years. In collusion with petrol pump employee Arun Amar Bahadur Singh at a Bandra station, the driver is accused of conducting fake transactions by swiping the cards without dispensing fuel, pocketing cash in return.

The Bandra Police Station FIR, numbered 1668/2025, was filed on October 1 following a complaint from Irani's manager, Diya Bhatia, marking a rare glimpse into the vulnerabilities faced by high-profile families in everyday household operations.

The scam, spanning from April 2022 to September 2025, unravelled during a routine review of vehicle maintenance records. Bhatia noticed discrepancies in fuel consumption for one of the family's cars, which has a modest 35-litre tank capacity. Bank statements and transaction logs revealed repeated swipes for up to 62 litres per instance—impossible volumes that raised immediate red flags. Further scrutiny confirmed that no actual refuelling had occurred, with the excess "purchases" syphoned off as cash kickbacks between the duo.

This methodical exploitation highlights the risks of delegated financial tools like corporate or household fuel cards, which are intended for legitimate use but can be vulnerable to internal collusion without oversight.

Under interrogation by authorities, Naresh Singh confessed to the scheme, admitting he had been skimming funds systematically for over three years. The FIR invokes Sections 3(5), 316(2), and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, covering criminal breach of trust, cheating, and dishonest inducement of delivery of property. These provisions, part of India's revamped criminal code effective from July 2024, emphasise stricter penalties for white-collar frauds, with potential imprisonment of up to 10 years for aggravated cheating. Arun Singh, the petrol pump attendant, remains at large, prompting a manhunt as police expand their probe to check for similar irregularities at other outlets.

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Honey Irani, 69, a prominent figure in Bollywood known for scripts like Lamhe and Koi... Mil Gaya, has largely stayed out of the spotlight in recent years, focusing on family and writing. The incident, while financially contained, underscores broader concerns about employee trust in celebrity households, where domestic staff often handle sensitive logistics.

No arrests have been made yet, but investigators are recovering transaction data and witness statements to quantify the exact loss. As the case progresses, it serves as a cautionary tale for fuel card management, with experts recommending digital tracking and periodic audits to prevent such breaches.

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