Odisha EOW arrests man for Rs 37 lakh cheating

Reported by Santosh Jagdev

Bhubaneswar, Jan 13:

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha Crime Branch (CB) arrested the proprietor of M/s Santuka Industries in Jagatpur in Cuttack for cheating a person to the tune of Rs 37.5 lakhs using forged documents.

The accused, identified as Sajjan Kumar Santuka, will be forwarded to a designated court in Cuttack today.

DIG CB Sanjay Kumar said EOW started investigating the case after one Samir Ranjan Mohanty, divisional head of IDCO in Cuttack, lodged a complaint with it on August 11 last year.

The IDCO official, in his complaint, had alleged that Santuka had executed an agreement with one Kishorilal Chhapolia for purchase and transfer of plot number- B/4 in Industrial Estate at Jagatpur in Cuttack after paying Rs 18 lakhs.

As per the terms of the agreement, after payment of all outstanding dues, Chhapolia would apply to IDCO for transfer  of the above plot in favour of Santuka. But instead Santuka, in criminal conspiracy with some other persons and a few IDCO officials, forged the documents and transferred the above property in his name and also made a fraudulent RoR in his name by tampering the papers.

‘He thus cheated Chhapolia as well as IDCO authorities with a view to grabbing the valuable industrial property for his wrongful gain, resulting in financial loss to Chhapolia as well as IDCO authorities,” the DIG informed.

“Investigation is on to ascertain the involvement of others, including IDCO officials, in the fraud case,” the DIG said.