Odisha: Utkal University staffer held for duping job seekers of above Rs 40 lakh

Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police today arrested an employee of Directorate of Distance and Continuing Education (DDCE) at Utkal University in the Odisha capital here on charges of duping several youths of lakhs on the promise of arranging government jobs.

The accused has been identified as Madhab Chandra Sethi, an academic coordinator at DDCE in Utkal University, said Saheed Nagar police Inspector In-Charge Gautam Kisan.

One Basant Kumar Das had lodged a complaint against Sethi with Saheed Nagar police yesterday. In his complaint, Das alleged that Sethi had promised him of arranging an Assistant Section Officer (ASO) job at Odisha Secretariat in lieu of Rs 12 lakh, added the IIC.

Das had paid Rs 2 lakh to Sethi in advance but the latter failed to arrange the ASO job for the former. Das lodged a complaint in this regard with police after Sethi did not return the money, said the IIC.

“The police had registered a case against Sethi under Sections 420 and 506 of the IPC and detained him for questioning. Sethi was arrested today on the basis of the evidence found against him during the investigation. He will be produced in a local court,” said the IIC.

According to police, Sethi has duped around 40 youths of above Rs 40 lakh on the promise of arranging government jobs for them.

“Sethi was well-known to many students as he was working as the academic coordinator at DDCE in Utkal University. He had managed to win the trust of many job seekers. Our investigation has suggested that most of the duped youths are the former students of Utkal University,” Kisan said.

The Commissionerate Police will take the necessary steps to find out details regarding the ill-gotten wealth of Sethi. Besides, the police are trying to find out whether he has been booked in any case in the past, he added.