Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Bhubaneswar has arrested one Himanshu Bhandarion from Noida in connection with a case of cheating a resident of Joda of Rs 2.35 crore.
The complainant, in this case, Pramod Kumar Rout of Joda was told over a call that he would receive Rs 3 crore from the Government of India, under Pradhan Mantri Rahat Kosh Yojana, over an insurance policy.
Though Rout avoided the calls and SMSs over a period of time, the fraudsters managed to draw him into the trap. From, November 2019 to February 2021, Rout deposited Rs 2.35 crore in multiple accounts.
Rout had received documents on Whats App signed by one Suresh Mathur, HOD (Intermediaries), Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India (IRDA), which were fake and forged, the EOW said.
After realising that he was cheated, Rout lodged a complaint with the EOW which carried out a probe and nabbed Bhandarion on March 15. While several others have been named in the agency’s FIR, the EOW presented the accused in a court at Greater Noida and secured a transit remand.
“He was produced before the JMFC, Barbil on March 19. During the investigation, it was found that there is no such person like Walia. The accused and his gang members were impersonating as high-level officials to cheat the complainant,” an EOW official said.
While Bhandarion is one of the members of this inter-State gang, searches are on to identify and arrest other members, he added.
