Actor and entrepreneur Parul Gulati has alleged a financial fraud of more than ₹8 lakh at the Bengaluru outlet of her brand Nish Hair.

According to Gulati, two store employees allegedly diverted customer payments into their personal bank accounts instead of the company’s official account, causing financial losses and creating discrepancies in sales and inventory records.

Suspicion Began With Inventory and Sales Mismatches

In a video shared on social media, Gulati said she had been noticing irregularities at the Bengaluru store for some time.

She reportedly observed mismatches between sales records, inventory movement and actual business collections.

Acting on these concerns, she conducted a surprise inspection at the outlet, where the alleged fraud came to light.

Manager Allegedly Admitted to Payment Diversion

According to Gulati, the store’s sales executive, who had access to the CCTV system, reported sick on the day of the inspection, while the store manager was present.

During questioning, the manager allegedly admitted that the payment diversion scheme began about a month after he joined the company.

Gulati claimed the second employee involved in the alleged fraud is currently absconding.

Daily Sales Allegedly Sent to Personal Accounts

Gulati alleged that the employees sold products worth around ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 per day.

Instead of directing customers to pay into the company’s official bank account, the employees allegedly asked them to transfer money into personal bank accounts.

As a result, those sales were allegedly not recorded properly in the company’s books, while the payments were retained by the accused employees.

Fraud Allegedly Continued for Six Months

According to Gulati, she currently has evidence covering nearly six months of alleged fraudulent activity.

She suspects the scheme may have started earlier, though the available evidence presently relates to the six-month period.

The store manager allegedly admitted to misappropriating approximately ₹8 lakh.

Gulati said she does not expect full recovery but wants accountability so that the accused do not repeat similar conduct elsewhere.

Customers Asked to Verify Payment Details

Gulati appealed to customers who purchased products from the Bengaluru outlet to review their payment records.

She advised customers to check whether payments were transferred to an employee’s personal bank account instead of the official company account.

She also urged customers to always insist on a proper invoice and verify payment details before completing any transaction.

Police Investigation Underway

Following the complaint, police have begun examining the allegations.

Authorities are expected to review transaction records, store-level digital evidence, customer payment trails, CCTV access records and the role of both accused employees.

The case has also drawn attention on social media, where several business owners and consumers shared similar concerns about internal fraud in retail operations.

Retail Businesses Need Strong Internal Controls

The incident highlights how small and growing businesses can suffer losses when payment collection, invoicing, inventory movement and employee access are not monitored closely.

Businesses handling direct customer payments should maintain daily reconciliation, invoice-level tracking, official QR/payment controls and strict segregation between sales handling and cash collection.

Professional bookkeeping services in india can help businesses maintain accurate sales records, reconcile daily receipts, detect missing invoices and identify payment diversion before losses accumulate.

Conclusion

The alleged fraud at the Bengaluru Nish Hair outlet shows how internal payment diversion can quietly affect retail businesses over time.

For entrepreneurs, the case is a reminder that trust must be supported by systems. Clear invoicing, official payment channels, daily reconciliation and strong store-level controls are essential to prevent employee-led financial fraud.

Shunyatax Global Insight

Employee-led retail fraud often begins with small control gaps—unverified payment accounts, missing invoices, weak inventory reconciliation and excessive access to store systems. When these gaps continue unchecked, even daily diversions of ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 can grow into significant losses within months.

Shunyatax Global believes growing brands should build strong store-level financial discipline from day one. Professional bookkeeping services in india can help businesses track every sale, reconcile customer payments, match inventory movement with invoices and detect internal fraud before it damages cash flow and customer trust.