Bhubaneswar: Mancheswar police in Bhubaneswar have arrested two brothers for allegedly running an interstate vehicle fraud racket that involved leasing trucks and illegally reselling them to unsuspecting buyers.
The accused have been identified as Manoj Mohapatra and Ashok Kumar Mohapatra, sons of Niranjan Mohapatra, who is also implicated in the ongoing case.
According to police, the family operated an organised gang that targeted vehicle owners across multiple districts, including Ganjam, Brahmapur, Raurkela, Kandhamala, Sundaragada, Boudh, and Bhadrak. The syndicate frequently relocated and changed addresses to evade law.
The case came to light following a complaint lodged by Biswaranjan Patra, a representative of a private organisation. In July, the firm leased a truck to the brothers under a contractual agreement after an advance payment of just Rs 10,000. According to the terms of the contract, the duo were required to settle the remaining 33 Equated Monthly Installments amounting to Rs 37.5 lakh with the finance company, alongside a monthly payment of Rs 15,000 to the complainant until the loan was cleared. The suspects, however, defaulted on all subsequent EMI and monthly payments, leaving the financial burden on the complainant.
The FIR was registered at Mancheswar police station in August.
During the probe, police uncovered that the family has a history of similar criminal activities, having previously leased heavy vehicles only to unlawfully dispose of them to third parties. The arrested brothers, who hail from Kalahandi and were residing in Kendujhar, were produced in court, where police sought a 15-day remand. Further investigation is underway to recover the vehicles, identify additional victims and apprehend other family members involved in the racket.
