In a swift operation amid rising suspicions during the Kali Puja festivities, police from Chauliagang station raided the Jasmine Hotel in the Shikarpur area in Cuttack, detaining 32 young men from West Bengal.
The youths are being questioned in connection with a large-scale fraud case originating from their home state, sources confirmed.
The raid was triggered by intelligence inputs about a group of non-Odia individuals gathering at the hotel. Acting on the tip-off, ACP Krushnachandra Sethi, along with IIC Chinteshwar Munda and a team of officers, descended on the premises early Thursday morning. Upon searching the first floor, they discovered multiple rooms occupied by the suspects.
During initial interrogation at the station, the detained youths provided evasive responses about their purpose for traveling to Cuttack. Some cited involvement in chit fund scams, while others alluded to cryptocurrency fraud schemes, though no concrete details were forthcoming. “They are not giving straight answers about why they came to Odisha,” a senior officer involved in the probe told reporters.
The operation unfolded against a backdrop of heightened local vigilance. Reports of similar gatherings of out-of-state youths at another Cuttack hotel had already stoked public unease. Over 100 locals assembled outside the Jasmine Hotel post-raid, creating a tense atmosphere that risked escalating. To avert any untoward incidents, police swiftly rounded up the group and transported them to the station for further scrutiny.
Adding intrigue to the case, preliminary information suggests that several among the 32 could be Bangladeshi nationals. Officers are meticulously verifying identity documents and delving deeper into their travel motives and potential links to the West Bengal fraud racket. The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities emphasizing community cooperation to maintain law and order during the festive season.
Updates on the probe are awaited as police piece together the full extent of the alleged scam network.
