Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha Police has arrested a builder in connection with the alleged embezzlement of nearly ₹9.6 crore from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) in Mayurbhanj district, officials said on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Brajesh Mishra, was apprehended from Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. He was subsequently brought to Bhubaneswar on transit remand after being produced before a local court there.
The case originated from a complaint filed by the chief manager of a nationalised bank’s Baripada branch, following suspicious transactions from the DMF trust account under the Zilla Parishad, Mayurbhanj.
According to EOW officials, a network of fraudsters siphoned off ₹9.56 crore in April 2024 by using cloned cheques to withdraw funds from the account. During the course of the investigation, authorities managed to block ₹5.04 crore of the diverted funds, while ₹13.56 lakh across 33 bank accounts has been frozen.
Investigators revealed that ₹98 lakh and ₹49 lakh were routed to bank accounts linked to Mishra’s two construction firms. Of this, ₹14.19 lakh was transferred directly to his personal account, while the remaining funds were further distributed across multiple accounts with fraudulent intent.
Preliminary findings suggest Mishra is part of a larger inter-state syndicate operating across Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha. Officials believe the group has been involved in similar financial frauds over the past four years.
Following Mishra’s arrest, the EOW has obtained key leads about the network and is expanding its probe to identify and apprehend other members, including the alleged kingpin.
Earlier, three individuals—Pomesh Tembhare, Ghanshyam Ahuja, and Ajmir Mondal—were arrested from different states in connection with the case.
