EOW arrests Odyssa Home director from Andhra in cheating case

Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha Crime Branch arrested another director of the real estate company Odyssa Home & Commercials Pvt Ltd in a cheating case.

The EOW sleuths nabbed the accused director Manoj Kumar Panda with help of Andhra Pradesh Police from Annavaram area of Kakinada district in neighbouring state yesterday.

The accused has been booked under sections 406/420/467/468/471/120 B IPC r.w. Sec. 6 of OPID Act, 2011. The police produced him before Judicial Magistrate of First Class Court of Prathipadu in East Godabari and brought him on a transit remand to Bhubaneswar for deposing him before the OPID Court, Cuttack.

Manoj Kumar Panda is one of the directors of M/s Odyssa Home & Commercials Pvt. Ltd that had duped investors of Rs 20 crore on pretext of providing them flats in its project under ‘Ganapati Homes’ at Sampur Mouza, Bhubaneswar near Kalinga Studio, in front of SOS Village.

The case was registered on the basis of the written complaint by Ranjan Kumar Mohapatra, an employee of TCS, after he was duped by the real estate firm.

According to reports, Manoj Kumar Panda was handling all affairs of the company and cheated many investors in name of giving them flats and lands.

Earlier, the EOW had arrested the MD of the company Aurobindo Santra in the case. As part of investigation, the Bureau of Immigration on request of the EOW had issued an LOC (look out circular) against Panda. Acting on a tip-off, the EOW team launched a manhunt from Vishakhapatnam to Annavaram in Kakinada District of Andhra Pradesh and managed to apprehend him from a hotel near Annavaram temple where he was hiding.

During the investigation, the EOW has seized incriminating documents like agreements and money receipts. The probe is currently underway.