Bhadrak: A man was arrested for allegedly posing as the personal assistant (PA) to a Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha and duping job seekers of over Rs one crore.
Police said the accused, identified as Jagannath Bahalia, used photographs with political leaders to lure job seekers and cheat them. He was arrested from Digha in West Bengal by a team of Bhadrak Town Police.
Bahalia allegedly introduced himself as the PA to a Deputy CM and showed photographs of himself with prominent political leaders to convince people of his influence and high connections. He used the photographs to gain the trust of youths and promised them government jobs in exchange for money, police said on Wednesday.
In one such case, a youth from the Simulia area of Baleshwar district was allegedly promised a job in the Railways. Bahalia reportedly took Rs ten lakh from him and later provided him with a fake appointment letter.
It is suspected that several other people may have been duped by the accused. Cases related to the alleged fraud have been registered in Baleshwar, Bhadrak and Kataka districts.
Based on complaints from victims, Bhadrak Town Police launched an investigation and traced Bahalia to Digha, where he was subsequently arrested.
Police are now investigating the total amount allegedly collected by the accused, the number of people cheated by him and whether other persons were involved in the fraud.