A major financial fraud has been unearthed in Balikuda, Jagatsinghpur district, where two women allegedly duped multiple depositors of over Rs 80 lakh under the pretense of arranging low-interest loans.
The accused—Rita Das from Gurujanga village in Khordha and Pramila Barik from Borikina village under Balikuda police limits—were arrested following numerous complaints.
According to police sources, the duo targeted women across Balikuda and Jagatsinghpur, promising loans from Andhra Pradesh’s Swarnakeswar Agency. Victims were asked to pay security deposits and submit personal documents including Aadhaar, PAN, and bank details. Payments were collected via both cash and online transactions.
One victim claimed she paid ₹40 lakh over two years through installments, while another said she was charged Rs 25,000 for a ₹5 lakh loan. When asked for refunds, the accused allegedly issued threats and went into hiding.
Balikuda police registered the case under FIR 424/25 and confirmed the arrests. SDPO Ajinkya Mane stated that the women operated in groups and lured victims with false promises of financial assistance. Investigations are ongoing to identify other potential victims and accomplices.
