Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police arrested two fraudsters on Monday for allegedly duping a rape victim of Rs 1.1 lakh under the pretext of helping her receive financial compensation sanctioned by the government.
The accused have been identified as Amiya Kumar Sahoo (45) and his accomplice Sangita Singh. Sahoo, a resident of Jagatsinghpur district, has been living in the Balianta area of Bhubaneswar. Singh was arrested by the Cuttack police on Sunday and was forwarded to court in connection with the cheating case.
The victim lodged a written complaint at Lalbag police station in Cuttack on May 17, claiming that she had been cheated by Sangita Singh and others. According to her, Rs 1.1 lakh from her sanctioned compensation of Rs 3.75 lakh was misappropriated.
Upon receiving the complaint, the police registered a case and launched an investigation. During the investigation, it was discovered that the victim was indeed entitled to compensation as a victim of sexual abuse and the financial assistance was to be processed through the office of the District Welfare Officer at the Collectorate in Cuttack.
Sahoo, who worked as a Data Entry Operator (DEO) and Office Assistant at the Collectorate, reportedly conspired with Singh and others to extort money from the victim’s sanctioned compensation. Singh, employed as a Physical Education Teacher (PET) at Janata Nodal Bidyapitha in Poda Diha, Khordha, was involved in the fraudulent scheme.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Amarendra Panda explained that Sahoo shared the victim’s details with the criminal syndicate. Singh, posing as a staff member of the Collectorate, contacted the victim in January, claiming that they would expedite her compensation process.
In March 2025, the victim received her full compensation amount of Rs 3.75 lakh in her bank account. After learning this, Singh contacted the victim again on March 22, claiming that they had helped secure an enhanced compensation amount. She insisted the victim pay Rs 1.1 lakh from the sanctioned sum, or else they would deduct it from her total compensation.
Feeling helpless, the victim transferred the requested amount in three separate transactions to two different PhonePe numbers.
When the victim later confirmed that the amount she received was the actual compensation, she asked the fraudsters to return her money. However, they refused. With no other recourse, the victim filed a formal complaint with the police, leading to the arrest of the accused.
