Odisha Mining Firm Owner Dupes NRI Of Rs 4.8 Crore

Bhubaneswar: A mining firm owner of Odisha’s Jeypore has been arrested for allegedly duping an NRI from South Korea of Rs 4.8 crore.

The accused, identified as Alaga Muthu Shankar, took the money from one Jagannath Rao Dodamani of Karnataka on the pretext of helping him to carry out mining in Odisha.

Shakar, who hails from Kerala, was arrested by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch on Thursday on the basis of the complaint lodged by Dodamani, who works as a senior research staff in an electronics company in South Korea.

According to EOW sources, Dodami had come across an advertisement floated by Shankar’s brother A M Raghunath and evinced interest in investing in the movie ‘Shankara Puram’ in 2017. Raghunath, however, diverted him to Sharkar, who instead convinced him to invest in mines in Odisha. Shankar took Rs 4.8 crore from Dodamani between 2017 and 2020 to start granite and iron ore mining in Odisha with the assurance that he would get the mining lease and requisite clearance from the government.

During the investigation, the EOW found that Shankar had hoodwinked Dodamani by preparing forged authorisation letters misusing the logo of the Steel and Mines Department and Forest Department.