JAJPUR: One Smarak Pradhan (35) of Deulakula village has been arrested for allegedly cheating a man of Rs 22 lakh on the pretext of selling him land in Chandikhole area under Barachana police limits here on Wednesday.
As per the complainant Ramesh Giri of Dhanmandal village, he had approached Pradhan who reportedly ran a property business, to arrange a piece of land for him. A few days later, Pradhan informed him about a plot in Chandikhole and asked him to go for a field visit.
“After visiting the site, the deal for the plot was finalised at Rs 40 lakh. But Pradhan asked me to pay Rs 22 lakh as advance and the rest of the money, he said, can be paid on the day of registration. Accordingly I transferred Rs 22 lakh to the account of Pradhan on January 25 with an assurance that the land registration will be done on January 29,” Giri stated in his complaint.
On January 29, Giri reached Barachana sub-registrar office for the registration but Pradhan did not turn up. After a long wait, Giri called up Pradhan but his phone was switched off. The complainant rushed to the house of the accused but by then he had fled the village.
Acting on the complaint, Barachana police arrested Pradhan. “We have arrested the accused under relevant sections of IPC and he has admitted to having duped the victim of Rs 22 lakh on the pretext of providing a piece of land. We are investigating whether more persons are involved in the nexus,” Sushil Nayak, IIC of Barachana police station said. Pradhan was remanded to judicial custody after his bail plea was rejected, police informed.