NUAPADA: Komna police on Saturday arrested a land broker in the Chandopala land fraud case in Nuapada. This takes the total number of arrests in the case to nine, police said.
The accused, identified as Abhay Panda (56), is alleged to be one of the key intermediaries involved in the fraudulent sale of 4.40 acres of land at Chandopala under Komna tehsil. The property, belonging to actual owners, Satyanarayan Pradhani and his sister Kumudini, was reportedly sold without their knowledge by producing persons impersonating them and using forged identity documents, police said.
The fraud came to light after Satyanarayan discovered the land had been sold while completing formalities for paddy procurement. A case was subsequently registered at Komna police station on the complaint of the then sub-registrar-cum-rehsildar Sarbeswar Jal.
Police had earlier arrested Dumal, who allegedly impersonated Satyanarayan, and Deomati Majhi, who posed as his sister. Alleged land brokers Dullav Nial and Tulasi Rana were also arrested. Police later arrested three more, the alleged mastermind Santosh Kumar Duria, and land brokers Ram Lal Panda and Jaysen Bag. Another accused, Jihatram Parabhoi (51) was arrested on September 16.
The investigation took an unusual turn when Satyanarayan and his family themselves traced Dumal to neighbouring Chhattisgarh and handed him over to police earlier this month, after alleging delay in police action.