Man held for duping two persons of Rs 35 lakh in Odisha’s Ganjam district

Berhampur, May 26 (PTI) Odisha Police has arrested a man for allegedly cheating two persons, including an NRI, of around Rs 35 lakh under the pretext of selling housing plots in various places of Berhampur town, an official said.

According to police, the accused, identified as Pattam Shyamababu Patro (58) of Nayagarh, is a former executive engineer of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC).

He was arrested in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.

According to police, Patro allegedly defrauded Rs 10 lakh from a woman residing in Gandhi Nagar, Berhampur, and Rs 25 lakh from an Australian-based NRI through fraudulent land sale agreements.

"Patro served as the executive engineer in BeMC from May 31, 2017 to December 31, 2019, before opting for voluntary retirement. He was residing in Bhubaneswar at the time of his arrest," a police official said.

Two separate cases have been registered against him at Berhampur Town and Gosaninuagaon police stations following complaints from the victims.

Police have seized several documents, including a land sale agreement, a bank cheque worth Rs 10 lakh, and other relevant materials from the accused, Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M said.

He said the accused had entered into an agreement with a woman on March 30, 2016, to sell around 0.590 decimal of land near Lochapada, on the outskirts of Berhampur, for Rs 71 lakh. The buyer transferred Rs 25 lakh to the accused through a bank transaction as an advance.

However, Patro neither handed over the land nor returned the money, the SP said.

When the woman followed up with the accused for repayment, he allegedly abused and criminally intimidated her.

"She warned him of police action, after which he returned Rs 15 lakh in 2021," said another police officer.

However, he failed to return the remaining Rs 10 lakh, despite repeated requests.

Similarly, Patro allegedly cheated the Australian NRI under the guise of selling land.

After prima facie evidence was established, he was arrested in Bhubaneswar. PTI COR BBM BBM MNB