A caregiver hired to look after an 85-year-old resident with dementia in New Alipore was arrested for allegedly siphoning money the elderly man received after selling his house.

Champa Purkait was arrested in Kultali on Tuesday for allegedly diverting ₹25 lakh from her employer’s bank account. Earlier this week, the elderly man’s nephew, Aloke Ghosh, had also been arrested in connection with the case, police said.

“The complainant, a retired central government employee, owns a two-storey building on Tollygunge Circular Road. His wife has passed away. To help him manage his expenses, his nephew introduced a caregiver and got Champa registered as a joint account holder,” said an officer from New Alipore police station.

After the property was sold, the proceeds were transferred to the man’s account. A complaint filed by the elderly man’s sister said that of the ₹55 lakh received, ₹15 lakh went to the nephew, while ₹45 lakh was transferred to Champa’s account and fixed as deposits.

The nephew and caregiver were arrested and charged with cheating and criminal breach of trust, the officer said.