Sundargarh: Bhasma Police arrested a man for allegedly cheating a widow of Rs 14.45 lakh by befriending her on Facebook and promising her a job for her son.
The accused has been identified as Saroj Nanda of Kondagad area under Gaisilet police station in Bargarh district. He was arrested from Balangir where he was hiding.
According to Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Nirmal Kumar Mohapatra, the victim, Ranjita Kalo, a widow from Bhalugad area in Bhasma police station, was targeted by Saroj Nanda. After sending her a friend request on Facebook, he introduced himself as a GST officer and promised to arrange a government job for her son.
Believing his words, Ranjita sold her small piece of land and borrowed money from relatives to pay him Rs 14,45,000. However, after taking the money, Saroj started demanding more. When Ranjita grew suspicious and repeatedly asked about the job, he began abusing her in filthy language and stopped responding to her calls.
When the victim lodged a complaint, Bhasma Police, with the help of the Cyber Cell, traced and arrested Saroj Nanda from Balangir.
During the raid, police seized one expensive car, eight mobile phones, 1 tablet, bank passbooks, ATM cards, cheque books and other items from his possession.
He further said the investigation is underway to ascertain whether Saroj Nanda had cheated other women as well.
