Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing, Bhubaneswar has arrested a fraudster youth for impersonating as an India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) official and trying to sell Hotel Nilachal Ashok in Puri of Odisha. The arrested fraudster has been identified as Anikesh Sahu. He has been forwarded to the court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), Bhubaneswar today.
Reportedly, Anikesh along with accused Chandan Akash Mohanty, Ex-contractual Assistant Engineer in OTDC, Bhubaneswar and another impersonated themselves as senior officer of ITDC authorized by secretary Tourism, New Delhi had cheated the victim Tapan Kumar Mohanty for the sale of Hotel Nilachal Ashok Hotel. They had also collected huge amount from him for this sale.
Tapan, husband of complainant Bijayini Mohanty, is the sole Proprietor of T.K. Egg and Chicken Centre in Puri and carried the wholesale business.
Earlier in January 2020, accused Chandan Akash Mohanty impersonated himself as senior officer of ITDC limited and the accused Anikesh Sahu introduced himself as a contractor working with different projects of ITDC along with another, who impersonated himself as a clerk of ITDC. All of them had met Tapan through one of his friend and persuaded him to purchase hotel Nilachal Ashok Hotel of ITDC at Puri to him for an amount of Rs 15 crores including 3 crores as under table deal.
Thereafter in February 2020, all the accused people had executed an agreement with him, where Chandan signed in the capacity of authorized signatory for ITDC Ltd and the Anikesh along with another accused signed as witness. They had collected more than Rs. 50 lakhs from Tapan Kumar Mohanty through bank account as well as in cash.
Initially, they made him deposit Rs 20 lakhs in the official account of ITDC maintained at Delhi but took Rs 30 lakhs in cash in order to pursue the matter. Later when he did not received any communication from ITDC Ltd., he suspected of some fraud. During the verification, he was aware that he has been deceived by all three of them.
Meanwhile, the victim Tapan suffered from from a brain stroke out of shock and now he is bedridden suffering from paralysis. he lost his speech and memory for which his wife Bijayini filed the complaint.
Based on the complaint, a case had been filed in EOW police station under section 419/420/467/468/471/120-B of Indian Penal Code (IPC).
It is pertinent to mention that earlier the accused Chandan has been arrested in another case of EOW for the offence of cheating one Dhanurdhara Champatiray, a Special Class Contractor by impersonating himself as an OTDC Official and issued fake work orders purportedly issued by OTDC, Bhubaneswar and collected more than 3 crores against fake work orders. He is still in judicial custody. During investigation of that case incriminating documents/ articles like seals of Chandan Akash Mohnaty as Member of ITDC have been seized from his possession.
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Ms Kalinga