Bollywood Actor Attacked at Corona Gym; Indian-Origin Financier Faces $100M Federal Fraud Case

Two stories involving South Asian individuals brought Desi community attention to Corona in recent months. In a violent incident at a local gym, Bollywood actor Aman Dhaliwal survived a hatchet and knife attack by a man who followed him inside the facility. Separately, Indian-origin financier Mahender Makhijani was arrested at his Southern California residence on federal charges of defrauding a bank of nearly $100 million through falsified title insurance records.

Indian-American Financier Arrested in Alleged $100 Million Bank Fraud Case

StratNews Global reported that an Indian-American individual was arrested in connection with an alleged $100 million bank fraud case. The outlet, which covers global strategic and geopolitical news with a focus on India and the Indian diaspora, highlighted the case as a significant development involving an Indian-American operating within the U.S. financial sector. The arrest drew attention in diaspora media circles given the scale of the alleged fraud, which prosecutors put at approximately $100 million. The case involves allegations of bank fraud, a federal offense carrying severe penalties under U.S. law. StratNews Global's decision to cover the story reflects the broader diaspora media interest in legal and financial cases involving Indian-origin individuals in the United States, particularly when the sums involved are of this magnitude. The outlet's framing of the arrest positioned the story within the ongoing narrative of Indian Americans navigating U.S. federal prosecutorial processes. The case attracted coverage from multiple South Asian and international media outlets tracking Indian diaspora affairs in North America, underscoring the breadth of community interest in how high-profile financial misconduct allegations affect the reputation and standing of the South Asian community in the United States. [1]

Indian-Origin Financier Makhijani Held on $100M Real Estate Lending Fraud Charges

Gulf News reported that Mahender Makhijani, 44, an Indian-born U.S. Green Card holder, was arrested at his Corona del Mar residence in Southern California on allegations that he defrauded a federally insured bank of nearly $100 million. According to the report by Senior Associate Editor Stephen N R, published June 11, 2026, Makhijani controlled Newport Beach-based Cantor Group V LLC, which maintained a lending relationship with the bank in question. Federal prosecutors allege that Makhijani manipulated title insurance documents to make it appear that his company held stronger claims over real-estate collateral than it actually did, enabling him to secure tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent financing. If convicted, Makhijani faces up to 30 years in federal prison. Gulf News described Makhijani's lifestyle as involving private jets, designer clothing, and luxury vehicles including Bentleys. The charges center on falsifying insurance records and misleading lenders, a sustained pattern that prosecutors allege allowed Makhijani to sustain an extravagant lifestyle at the expense of the defrauded financial institution. The case drew significant international media attention given the dramatic scale of the alleged fraud and the sharp contrast between the luxury lifestyle described in court documents and the underlying conduct alleged by federal prosecutors. [2]

Bollywood Actor Aman Dhaliwal Survives Hatchet and Knife Attack at Corona Planet Fitness

ABC7 Los Angeles reported that Aman Dhaliwal, 36, of Corona, a Bollywood actor with more than a dozen movies and television shows to his credit, was attacked with a knife and a hatchet at a Planet Fitness gym located at 3685 Grand Oaks in Corona. The alleged attacker, Ronald Chand, 30, of Santa Ana, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon at his first court appearance in downtown Riverside and was held on $1 million bail. According to ABC7, the attack began in the gym's parking lot after Dhaliwal observed Chand behaving erratically in his vehicle and started recording him with his cell phone. Chand allegedly blocked Dhaliwal with his car, then attacked him before following him inside the facility when Dhaliwal fled indoors. Eyewitness John Keane, who was exercising at the time, described seeing a man with a knife in one hand and a hatchet in the other holding the victim. Dhaliwal found an opportunity to fight back by attempting to knock the weapon from Chand's hand, and Keane together with three other bystanders then subdued Chand until police arrived. A family member told ABC7 that Dhaliwal suffered numerous injuries in the attack but had been released from the hospital and was recovering at a nearby hotel while requesting privacy. Police said the suspect and victim did not appear to know each other. [3]

Sources: [1] stratnewsglobal.com · [2] Gulf News · [3] ABC7 Los Angeles