Bhubaneswar: A 40-year-old man, impersonating as a relative of Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, was arrested in Odisha capital on the charge of duping a retired Army man on the pretext of getting him a job with a government organisation, police said today.

The accused has been identified as Joyti Ranjan Pradhan, a native of Ghantapara area in Angul district. Incidentally, the Union Minister also belongs to the same district.

According to police, the accused had taken around Rs 7 lakh from Brundaban Pradhan, an ex-army man from Talcher (in Angul district) to arrange a job for him at the Mahanadi Coalfield Limited (MCL).

The ex-army man had lodged a complaint with Mancheswar police on August 2 after realising he has been cheated.

Acting as per the complaint, the Commissionerate Police arrested the accused today from Mancheswar area in the city, a police officer said.

We came to know that the accused is neither a relative nor any links with Union Minister Dharmednra Pradhan, said Krushna Prasad Mishra, Inspector-In-Charge (IIC) of Mancheswar police station.

He used to introduce himself as a relative of the Union Minister in order to woo the vulnerable people, the IIC added.

A case was registered under Sections 468, 47, 420, 294 and 506 of the IPC. The accused has been forwarded to court this evening, police said.