EOW arrests impersonators of IAS, PWD officials for defrauding businessman

Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW), of Crime Branch has arrested two persons on charges of defrauding people while impersonating as IAS officers.

Based on a complaint filed by Rikab Chand Munot alias Mukesh Jain, Proprietor of M/s Rashtriya Stainless Steel, the EOW arrested Suryamani Tripathy and Amit Kumar on Friday from Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, respectively. The two accused were forwarded to the court of SDJM, Bhubaneswar today.

As per the complaint, Rajesh Gahlot, Suryamani Triapthy and Amit Kumar along with another accused entered into a criminal conspiracy and impersonated themselves respectively as the officers of RAW, IAS and PWD. The four cheated Mukesh Jain and his son with the help of another lady who impersonated as Treasury Officer. They cheated the father-son duo of Rs 1.17crore on the pretext of arranging and facilitating big government work orders and contracts from the Works Department, Government of Odisha.

The complainant, Mukesh Jain is the proprietor of M/s Rashtriya Stainless Steel and has a branch office at Kalinganagar, Bhubaneswar of which the proprietor was his son Akshay Munot Jain.

During the 2017, the complainant through one of his friend came in contact with Rajesh Gahlot, who introduced himself as an officer of RAW having many IAS officers in Odisha as his friends. He subsequently introduced the complainant and his son to accused Suryamani Tripathy at Odisha Niwas, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi as an IAS Officer, posted as Additional Secretary to Government of Odisha in PWD (Public Works Department).

Rajesh Gahlot and Suryamani Tripathy assured the complainant and his son to help them in getting high value government contracts and work orders under the “Pradhan Mantree Yojana” in Odisha. Subsequently, during January 2018, being called upon by Suryamani Tripathy for executing agreement with PWD, Odisha pertaining to work orders in favour of complainant’s firm, Mukesh Jain and his son visited the office of EIC, Nirman Soudha, Bhubaneswar, where, another accused Amit was introduced by Suryamani Tripathy as an Engineer working with PWD.

Both Suryamani and Amit took the complainant and his son to the Bhubaneswar Court and prepared the agreements on stamp papers and also got the documents and agreement papers purportedly signed by Assistant Engineer, O/o EIC (Civil), Nirman Soudha, Bhubaneswar and took the signature of Akshay Munot (complainant’s son) on behalf of Rashtriya Stainless Steel and also got the agreement papers notarized.

During the investigation it was also found out that during March 2018, Suryamani Tripathy and Amit called the complainant and his son to Bhubaneswar asking them to deposit a sum of Rs 25 lakhs with government treasury for registering their firm i.e. M/s Rashtriya Stainless Steel with PWD, Odisha for issuance of work order.

Being persuaded by them, the complainant accompanied both the accused to the premises of Govt. Treasury, at OLA Campus, BBSR and paid cash of Rs 25 lakhs to one lady at the instances of the accused, and Suryamani Tripathy collected a treasury receipt in respect of Rs 25 lakhs and handed over the same to the complainant.

Following this, Suryamani Tripathy handed over two work orders to complainant, purportedly issued by Assistant Engineer, O/o EIC(Civil) Nirman Soudha, Bhubaneswar for the contract value of Rs 3 crore and Rs 4 crore on 15.03.18 and again on 21.08.18 two work orders having contract value of Rs 32.52 crores and Rs 47.52 crores for laying rising main and distribution pipe lines of HDPF / GI/ DI construction of pump house, compound wall, RCC ESR, SB Chamber Stand Post etc for pipe water supply schemes to Taraboi under 30 districts and 314 block in Odisha. Three accused went on collecting money under different pleas/ pretext to expedite the process, the EOW stated in an official statement.

Suryamani Tripathy handed over a fake letter, purportedly signed by Accounts Officer O/o EIC (Civil), Nirman Soudha, Bhubaneswar addressed to Branch Manager, Axis Bank, Unit-IV, Bhubaneswar requesting therein to transfer an amount of Rs 1.52 crores and Rs 3.16crores (i.e. totaling to Rs.4.68 cores) towards the 20% advance against the work order to the account of M/s Rashtriya Stainless Steel, Bhubaneswar maintained with SBI, Axix Bank, Unit-IV, BBSR branch and insisted the complainant to sign on money receipts against receipt of above money from O/o EIC (Civil), Nirman Soudh, Bhubnaeswar. Accordingly, the son of complainant gave two money receipt of 4.68 crores but no amount was transferred to his account.

When no work was assigned, the complainant started doubting the conduct of the accused persons and sought information under RTI about the accused persons and the work order so given them and came to know that all the documents including the Treasury Receipt are fake and so also the identity of the accused persons. It has been learnt that accused Suryamani Tripathy has been working as a clerk in the office of DTET (directorate of Technical Education & Training), Cuttack, whereas Amit Kumar is an unemployed.

The EOW seized fake work orders, agreements and treasury receipts. It is suspected that the accused might have cheated many others too. They used to use the Odisha Niwas, New Delhi to make any deal to impress/ gain trust of complainant. Also the accused has saved the mobile numbers of senior IAS/ IPS/ OAS officers/Judges to impress the complainant/ other party.

EOW official sources said investigation of the case is continuing to identify and nab the other accused involved in this case and in similar kind of frauds.

Any other people who might have been cheated by these persons are requested to contact EOW, the statement read.

An EOW PS Case No. 14 dt. 28.10.2021U/s 419/420/467/468/471/120-B IPC has been registered.