BARGARH: Attabira police on Sunday arrested a 20-year-old man for allegedly duping students and their parents by posing as college principal and extorting money in the name of admission.
The accused is Pabitra Naik of Talapanga under Kashipur police limits in Rayagada district.
According to police, one Premananda Singh of Kulunda lodged a complaint alleging that he received a call on June 25 from an unknown mobile number. The caller claimed to be associated with Larambha College and told him that Rs 8,535 had to be paid through the principal’s payment scanner, failing which admission of son would not be completed. Believing the caller, Singh made four payments through UPI, three transactions of Rs 2,000 each and another of Rs 2,535.
He later realised that he had been cheated and approached the police. Based on his complaint, Attabira police registered a case under sections 318(3) and 318(4) of the BNS and sections 66-C and 66-D of the IT Act.
During investigation, police found that Naik was working as a marketing agent for an engineering college and had travelled to different parts of Odisha, particularly educational institutions, where he collected mobile numbers of students and parents from databases. Police said in June 2026, he procured 18 SIM cards in his name and used them to contact students, posing as college principals or clerks. He would send payment scanners and threaten that admission would be cancelled if money was not transferred.
Police further found that Naik had allegedly cheated several students in Bargarh district using the same modus operandi in July. He allegedly cheated students Kedar Nath Rana of Patkulunda and Nitei Pal of Chinajuri of Rs 20,000 each on the pretext of college admission during the same period.
Police seized 10 SIM cards, two mobile phones and three cheque books from Naik’s possession. The accused was produced in court on Sunday.
