Bhubaneswar: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two natives of Odisha in Rajasthan’s Jajpur in a high-profile impersonation and bribery racket.
The two men from Balangir district have been identified as Ajit Kumar Patra (51) and his associate Minku Lal Jain (46).
According to CBI, they allegedly impersonated high-ranking officials from various govt departments, ministries, enforcement agencies and the judiciary in Delhi and Rajasthan to extract money and undue favours from unsuspecting individuals. They allegedly leveraged false identities to project influence and proximity to top bureaucrats, thereby deceiving victims into paying large sums to “settle” official matters.
The case came to light following a raid by the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI), Jaipur, on November 4, at the premises of a company’s CEO in Jaipur. “The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) in Jaipur conducted a raid on November 4 on the premises of Vinod Parihar, CEO of a private company. To avoid arrest, Parihar reportedly reached out to Patra and Jain, who demanded Rs 18 lakh to resolve the issue with unidentified DGGI officials in Jaipur,” a CBI officer said.
The duo was apprehended on Monday while allegedly accepting Rs 18 lakh from Jagjit Singh Gill, sent by Parihar.
During subsequent searches across Delhi, Rajasthan, and Odisha, the CBI seized Rs 3.7 crore in cash, over 1 kg of gold jewellery, 26 property documents in the names of Patra and his relatives, and multiple high-end vehicles.
Investigation revealed Patra and Jain frequently used name-dropping tactics, claiming close ties with senior officers to gain credibility, and also exploited their fabricated status to secure VIP privileges, including entry into restricted areas, access to high-security events, and stays in official guest houses.
