Bhubaneswar: Four days after arresting Kanhu Charan Pradhan, the mastermind in a cheating and impersonation racket, the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police on Thursday said the accused was earlier booked in at least six cases.
During investigation, it has come to light that Pradhan was earlier booked in at least six cases and police had seized a number of fake identity cards from his possession, it said.
The arrest of Pradhan came after a fake RTI activist, Kishore Mishra was nabbed on August 18 on the basis of a complaint filed at Koraput Town police station on April 25.
Pradhan along with his associates cheated innocent people impersonating as high-level government officials. They have prepared fake/forged Id Cards and impersonated senior officers of various departments of Odisha government and the Centre.
Earlier the ID cards seized from his possession are – i. Assistant Director (Tech), Director of PS & P, Odisha, Cuttack, ii. Chairman SC & ST Welfare, Home Dept. , Govt. of Odisha, iii. CZM (Special Project) National Highway Authority of India, iv. CCM (Special Project) National Highway Authority of India, v. CCM Project, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation.
In the latest case, accused Pradhan forcibly took possession of a foreign liquor shop from the complainant by impersonating a senior government and executing an agreement. This group has been indulging in thuggery/cheating/impersonation at various places in Odisha.
During investigation, it was also found that this group uses some mule bank accounts including those of dead persons. They trick people by saving their numbers as some senior officers and when people verify them on ‘True-caller” they start trusting them as genuine.
The STF has requested people who have been cheated by Pradhan or his associates to contact them on Toll-Free No. 18003457103 for necessary assistance/action. Further investigation in these cases is underway.
