Cuttack: The Cyber Crime and Economic Offences wing of Odisha Police in Cuttack on Tuesday cracked a sextortion racket in which a 72-year-old retired state government employee was allegedly duped of nearly Rs 88 lakh.
Five accused – Manoj Kumar Jena (27), Prafulla Kumar Biswal (65), Sangram Jena (22), all belonging to Jajpur, and Basudev Rout (25) and Manaranjan Routray (60) of Bhubaneswar – have been arrested and Rs 14 lakh in cash, gold jewellery, 16 silver coins and an armlet and two vehicles seized from their possession. “More than 5 lakh rupees frozen in the bank accounts. Other associated accounts are being verified, and necessary legal action will be taken in this regard,” a police release said.
The case was registered on January 19, 2026, under Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with provisions 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act. The victim, a senior citizen, fell prey to a calculated scam that began with building trust through social media and personal meetings, escalating to blackmail using a secretly recorded compromising video.
According to police sources, the principal accused, Saroj Kumar Jena, along with his associates, first contacted the victim via Facebook in January 2025. They gradually built rapport through repeated in-person meetings at hotels in Cuttack. To gain the victim’s confidence, Saroj Jena borrowed Rs 1.48 lakh in May 2025 on the pretext of medical treatment and repaid it within two months. Later, the accused demanded more money for his supposed daughter’s treatment. When the victim refused, the gang devised a blackmail plan. During a WhatsApp video call, they involved a nude woman on the other end and secretly recorded the victim’s participation without his knowledge. They then threatened to circulate it on social media unless the victim paid up. Through continuous intimidation and coercion, the accused extorted around Rs 88 lakh from the victim through NEFT transactions.
Under the supervision of the Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack, a special investigation team led by ACP in-charge of the Cyber Crime and Economic Offences police station Satyajit Das, was formed. Raids were conducted across locations, leading to the arrest of five accused on January 19-20.
Efforts are underway to apprehend Jena, the sources added.
