UMERKOTE: Papadahandi police, on Wednesday, arrested two persons for allegedly extorting money from youths in Nabarangpur district with false promise of giving them jobs. The accused Sajit Amiya Prasad Gobordhan and Prabin Suna reportedly issued fake employment offer letters to the victims in lieu of money.
The arrests came after one Bharat Gouda, who was also a victim of the racket, lodged a complaint in Papadahandi police station on Monday. He had received a fake employment letter from the accused by paying money.
On investigation, it was revealed that the accused had set up a firm by the name of Bharat Yojana to do such nefarious deals of taking money by luring youths of jobs. They falsely assured the gullible youths to provide appointment as village coordinators, panchayat coordinators, block coordinators, regional coordinators etc, said police. The firm was not only active in Nabarangpur but across many districts, added police.
During probe it came to the fore that many youths of Papadahandi, Tentulikhunti and Kosagumuda block in Nabarangpur district were cheated to the tune of lakhs of rupees by being given fake employment letters. The accused allegedly took Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 from each youth who approached them, police further stated.
Briefing media persons, Papdahandi SDPO Aditya Sen said the members of the racket illegally collected Rs 3.5 lakh from Papadahandi block, around Rs 7 lakh from Kosagumuda block and lakhs of rupees from Tentulikhunti block.
“They have collected this amount between the month of December 2022 and January 2023. In fact, the managing director of the firm Smruti Prabha Mahankuda and divisional head Mahendra Acharya were earlier arrested by Koraput police and are in jail custody, the SDPO informed.