PhD Holder Impersonating Vigilance Officer For Extortion Arrested In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The special task force (STF) of Odisha Police has arrested a PhD holder on charges of cheating, forgery and extortion by impersonating a vigilance officer.

The accused, Manoj Kumar Majhi, was apprehended during a raid at his residence at Phulbari village under Krushna Prasad police limits in Puri district on Saturday. He has a PhD from Sambalpur University, besides an MSc in chemistry.

Majhi allegedly extorted money from 15 officials, including engineers, senior administrative officers and district-level officials. “During interrogation, the accused admitted that he attempted to extort money from government officials as well as some contractors by posing as a senior vigilance officer. It has also been ascertained that the accused had cheated some persons by promising to arrange government jobs,” the STF said in a release.

He was arrested on the basis of a complaint lodged by an additional chief engineer, who alleged that Majhi had demanded Rs 1 crore from him by posing as SP (vigilance), the release further said, adding that he would be forwarded to the SDJM court, Bhubaneswar, on Sunday.