Bhubaneswar: Cyber crime police have detained a woman in connection with an unauthorized crowdfunding campaign allegedly set up in the name of Prasant Satpathy, the Pahalgam terror attack from Odisha.
This has come as a shock for his family, which is still coping with his loss.
His wife, Priyadarshini, who has lodged a complai
nt, urged people to be careful of such scammers. “No amount of money can bring him back. The government has done enough for us. The amount collected should instead be donated to some trust,” she said.
According to the complaint, a Facebook user had put up a post, seeking financial help in Prasant’s name along with a mobile phone number, and requested people to transfer the money through UPI while assuring the donors that the entire amount would be handed over to the grieving family. “The person admitted that she had not taken consent from the family for the fundraising campaign. We do not approve of any such activity. Strong action should be taken against anyone raising money in our name,” Prasant’s elder brother, Sushant, told the media.
The woman had initially claimed to have contacted Prasant’s younger brother Jayant and informed him about the plan to start the charity drive.
An accounts assistant with Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET) in Balasore, Prasant was shot dead during the terrorist attack at Pahalgam’s Baisaran meadows while vacationing with his wife and nine-year-old son on April 22.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had announced Rs 20 lakh financial assistance and a government job for Prasant’s family.