Bhubaneswar: A man has been arrested for allegedly defrauding Odisha Food Supply and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra of ₹25 lakh in a land deal gone wrong, police said on Tuesday.
The accused identified as Niranjan Satpathy of Banasingh village in Dhenkanal district, was taken into custody and produced before a local court after the minister lodged a complaint with the Dhenkanal Town Police Station on July 26.
According to the police, Patra had paid ₹25 lakh to Satpathy in 2021 as an advance for a land parcel in the Banasingh area. However, the accused failed to deliver the promised plot and subsequently issued two cheques to return the amount — both of which bounced.
Police said Satpathy had also provided a written assurance to refund the money, but did not follow through.
Minister Patra, speaking to the media on Monday had stated that the transaction took place four years ago when he was serving as a director in a company. “He neither gave me the land nor returned the money. I waited long enough before filing a formal complaint,” the minister said.
The investigation into the case is ongoing.
