Bhubaneswar: The Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate’s (SDJM’s) Court here has ordered the release of the frozen amount of Rs 20 lakh in favour of Bijayini Mohanty, wife of Tapan Kumar Mohanty, the victim in ITDC Nilanchal Hotel, Puri cheating (‘sale’) case of 2021.
This was informed by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in an official press release.
Worth mentioning, victim Tapan Kumar Mohanty suffered a brain stroke after he came to know that he has been cheated. Since then he is a vegetative state and bedridden.
While two accused persons Anikesh Sahu and Chandan Akash Mohanty have been arrested, the third accused Bikash Moharana has surrendered in court.
As per the case registered by EOW on the basis of a written complaint filed by Bijayini Mohanty, the accused Anikesh Sahu in criminal conspiracy with accused Chandan Akash Mohanty, ex-contractual Assistant Engineer in OTDC, Bhubaneswar and Bikash Moharana impersonating themselves as senior officer of ITDC authorised by Secretary Tourism, New Delhi had cheated her and her husband-Tapan Kumar Mohanty by entering into a false agreement with Tapan Kumar Mohanty for the sale of Hotel Nilachal Ashok, ITDC at Puri and collected huge amount from him.
Investigation of the case by the EOW revealed that Tapan Kumar Mohanty, the sole proprietor of T K Egg & Chicken Centre, Puri and carries on wholesale business of egg and chicken in Puri.
In January-2020, accused Chandan Akash Mohanty impersonated a senior officer of ITDC Ltd and accused Anikesh Sahu introduced himself as a contractor working with different projects of ITDC along with Bikash Moharana who impersonated himself as a clerk of ITDC met Tapan Kumar Mohanty through one of his friends and persuaded him to purchase Nilachal Ashok Hotel of ITDC at Puri to him for Rs 15 crores including 3 crores as under table deal.
In February 2020, the aforementioned accused persons executed an agreement with Tapan Kumar Mohanty, wherein accused Chandan Akash Mohanty signed in the capacity of the authorized signatory for ITDC Ltd and accused Anikesh Sahu and Bikash Moharana signed as witnesses.
The accused persons collected more than Rs 50 lakhs from Tapan Kumar Mohanty through bank account as well as in cash.
In order to win the trust, the accused persons first made him deposit Rs 20 lakhs in the official account of ITDC maintained in Delhi but took Rs 30 lakhs in cash in order to pursue/ push the matter.
However, subsequently, when Tapan Kumar Mohanty did not get any communication from ITDC Ltd., he smelled the fraud. On verification, he came to know that he has been deceived by the accused persons.
Then, Tapan Kumar Mohanty requested the accused persons to return him his money. But the accused persons evaded with different pleas.
Tapan Kumar Mohanty on realising that he was a victim of fraud, suffered a brain stroke out of shock and is now bedridden suffering from paralysis, losing his speech and memory following which his wife filed the complaint.
