Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police here have arrested five persons, including a woman, for allegedly defrauding several residents of Bhubaneswar.
The gang swindled lakhs by promising to double their investments and delivered bundles of paper sandwiched between genuine currency notes. The woman, Mamata Samal (40) from Angul, posed as a mine owner, while her associates—Anil Kumar Mistri (37) from Biramitrapur, Dilip Singh (48) from Nischintakoili, Batakrushna Pradhan (55) from Cuttack, and Chitaranjan Das (40) from Khalari—acted as her staff.
According to police sources, the gang targeted unsuspecting people in crowded places like railway stations, hospitals, parks, and markets. Pretending to be mine owners with Rs 300 crore in black money in Rs 100 notes, they offered to exchange it for smaller amounts in Rs 500 notes to evade taxes.
Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena explained that the gang enticed victims by promising large sums in Rs 100 notes for half the amount in Rs 500 notes, sometimes giving a few genuine Rs 100 notes to build trust.
The men first befriended victims before introducing Samal as the mine owner. “After gaining their trust, they took Rs 500 note bundles and gave back bundles with Rs 100 notes only on the top and bottom, with plain paper in between,” Meena said.
They showed the bundles briefly from locked bags, urging victims to check the money only after reaching home to avoid suspicion.
The gang is linked to at least three other cheating cases in Bharatpur and Nayapalli, defrauding Chhabi Behera of Rs 4.50 lakh and Binod Kumar Swain of Rs 6 lakh in February. Behera, a driver, and Swain, a financial services employee, were among the victims. Another person reportedly lost Rs 12 lakh meant for his daughter’s wedding. The gang also allegedly tricked people with promises of cheap gold biscuits and operated across Bhadrak, Cuttack, Ganjam, Sundargarh, and other areas in the state.
Police seized Rs 1 lakh in cash, eight mobile phones, 15 bundles of paper cuttings, and bags. Further investigation is underway and more suspects under scrutiny.
