Police in Sundargarh arrested a man for duping a woman of Rs 14.45 lakh by promising a government job.
The accused, identified as Saroj Nanda from Bolangir, created a fake Facebook profile under the name “Ritesh Tripathy.” He contacted Ranjita Kalo in November 2025 and assured her that he could secure a job for her son in the Commercial Taxes Department. He demanded Rs 15 lakh for the arrangement.
Believing his claims, Ranjita transferred Rs 12.45 lakh through PhonePe and paid another Rs 2 lakh in cash. Saroj neither arranged the job nor returned the money. When Ranjita asked for a refund, he abused her over the phone and threatened her.
She filed a complaint at the Bhasma Police Station. Acting on the complaint, police arrested Saroj and seized a car, bank passbook, cheque book, and mobile phone from him. Sundargarh SDPO Nirmal Kumar Mahapatra confirmed the arrest and said the accused was produced in court.
