Cuttack: Police have arrested the owner of Rooftop London Cafe and Restaurant located at Trisulia in Cuttack on charges of cheating a woman government employee of ₹40 lakh and attempting to murder her.

The accused, Deepak Barik, was taken into custody by Madhupatna police on the basis of a complaint filed by the 39-year-old woman.

According to reports, the victim works in a government office in Cuttack and originally hails from Koraput. She has been living in a rented house in CDA Sector-6. In 2019, she came into contact with Deepak, a resident of Sartol under Madhupatna police limits, and they reportedly entered into a romantic relationship. Deepak allegedly promised to marry her and maintained a physical relationship with her over time.

The woman has alleged that during the course of the relationship, Deepak tactfully took ₹40 lakh from her in several instalments. She said the money came partly from the sale of her land and partly through bank loans. Once Deepak received the money, he allegedly began avoiding her.

When the woman began demanding her money back, Deepak allegedly threatened to kill her. Around a month ago, when she visited Deepak's house in Sartol to confront him, he allegedly attempted to kill her by strangling her. Following this incident, she lodged a formal complaint with the police on July 3.

During the investigation, police collected bank transaction records, which confirmed that the woman had transferred money to Deepak's account. Statements from locals in Sartol also supported her claim of a murder attempt.

Acting on the evidence, police raided the cafe and arrested Deepak. Further investigation is ongoing.