BERHAMPUR: Berhampur Sadar police on Sunday arrested a key accused in a multi-state overseas job fraud racket in which more than 500 unemployed people were allegedly duped on the promise of lucrative jobs in Singapore. The accused, Balaram Maharana (38) of Gopinathpur Mali Sahi under Hinjili police station in Ganjam district, was forwarded to court.
He was wanted in a case registered on June 1, 2019, said Berhampur SP Abhinav Sonkar. Police said Maharana and his associates allegedly operated a fake overseas recruitment agency named ‘Job Track Consultancy and Training Centre’ at Bhabinipur. They promoted the agency through posters, banners and leaflets and promised jobs at Keppel Shipyard in Singapore.
The accused allegedly conducted fake interviews and collected around Rs 30,000 from each of nearly 500 job seekers, purportedly towards passport, air tickets and work permits. Police said the accused also collected the original passports of at least 190 applicants.
To convince the victims that the recruitment process was genuine, the accused allegedly supplied fake medical certificates, computer-generated forged appointment letters and work permits, and fake air tickets showing the Chennai-Bangkok-Singapore route, police said. After collecting the money, the accused allegedly switched off their mobile phones and absconded. When some of the victims sought refunds, they were allegedly threatened and assaulted with the help of anti-social elements.
Police said the investigation also revealed an inter-state link, with the principal accused, Subrat Kumar Palo (45), wanted in a similar fraud case registered at Vizianagaram Rural police station in Andhra Pradesh. Berhampur police arrested Palo on December 24, 2025.
Maharana, described by police as a habitual offender, allegedly kept changing his address to evade arrest. The SP appealed to people seeking jobs abroad to verify the credentials and antecedents of overseas recruitment agencies before making payments or handing over original documents, and to remain alert against fraudulent job offers.