Two including self-styled godman arrested in Odisha for Rs 3 crore fraud

Bhubaneswar, Aug 22: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) today arrested two fraudsters, including a self-styled godman for impersonating Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) officials and cheating a contractor of Rs 3 crore. The accused have been identified as Chandan Akash Mohanty, a B. Tech engineer and Bijayananda Choudhury alias Shri Swami Bijayanandaji Maharaj, a self-styled godman. Police said that a case against both the accused was registered on the basis of a written complaint filed by OTDC official, Bhubaneswar on the allegation that Mohanty cheated one Dhanurdhara Champatiray, a special class contractor by issuing fake work orders purportedly issued by OTDC and collected huge amount from him in his personal account towards projected EMD against the work orders. Police said that Mohanty was earlier working on contractual basis as an assistant engineer in OTDC. “ Champatiray was in eager search of work orders during the Covid pandemic. In May last year he visited the self-styled godman at his residence in CDA, Cuttack, who falsely introduced himself as the Chairman of OTDC and member of ITDC Ltd. He also introduced the victim with Mohanty, who introduced himself as the assistant engineer of OTDC,” said a police official. Both the accused later promised the victim to provide work order from OTDC and asked him to deposit various amounts towards EMD in the personal account of Mohanty. Police said that Mohanty had handed over 23 numbers of work orders to the victim for repair and renovation of Pantha Nivas at Barkul and Rambha between August and November last year. “Around Rs 1.14 crores has been deposited in the personal account of Mohanty. All the work orders are found fake and manufactured by using forged signature and seal and not issued from OTDC,” added the police official.