Lawyer Dupes Arrested Doctor’s Mother Of Rs 17 Lakh In Odisha’s Cuttack City

Cuttack: A woman of Odisha’s Cuttack city was allegedly duped of Rs 17 lakh by a lawyer who promised to hush up a police case against her doctor son, recently arrested for running an illegal prenatal sex determination centre.

In an FIR filed at Mangalabag police station, Jashoda Das alleged that soon after her son, Dr Punyshloka Das and daughter-in-law, were arrested, their neighbour Sambit Samal, a lawyer, approached her and sought Rs 20 lakh to get them freed. He allegedly told her that he would spend some money at the police station and some in the court.

However, when the couple was denied bail and sent to judicial custody, Jashoda demanded the money back. Instead of returning the money, Samal not only abused Jashoda but also threatened her against speaking about it to anyone.

“A case has been registered and efforts are on to apprehend the accused who is absconding,” said additional DCP Anil Mishra.

Ponyashloka Das (52), his wife and three middlemen (brokers) were arrested under PNDT Act following a surprise raid by a joint team of health department officials, police and district administration officials, headed by Cuttack sub-collector Kamaljit Das, conducted a raid at his Friends Colony residence, which continued for more than three hours, on Friday.