Bhubaneswar: The Badagada police on Monday arrested a 55-year-old man for allegedly duping a city resident of Rs 18 lakh by promising a job for his son at NALCO using forged documents.
The accused, identified as Naresh Barik alias Butu, a resident of Pragati Vihar, had posed as an Assistant General Manager (AGM) at NALCO to gain the victim’s trust.
According to police, Barik initially introduced himself as a dealer for Reliance and NALCO before making the false claim about holding an executive position at the public sector company.
The case (PS Case No. 429/2025, dated August 6) was registered under Sections 419, 420, 468, and 34 of the IPC based on a complaint filed by Sarbeswar Samal. The complainant told police he met Barik in 2021 and was convinced by him—along with an associate named Dillip Bhatta—that his son could be appointed at NALCO.
Believing the offer, Samal paid Barik a total of Rs 18 lakh through PhonePe, Google Pay, bank transfers, and in cash.
In return, Barik allegedly provided fake appointment letters, ID cards, gate passes, and medical fitness certificates designed to mimic official NALCO documents.
The fraud came to light on March 19 this year when Samal’s son visited the NALCO office and was informed that the documents were fake. Following this, an investigation was launched.
During the probe, police recovered forged documents, two Rs 5 lakh cheques, digital transaction details, and e-wallet statements from the accused. Barik was arrested at around 1 pm on Monday and produced before court.
