In a disturbing case of exploitation, the Lalbagh police in Cuttack have arrested two Odisha government employees for allegedly defrauding a rape survivor of ₹1.01 lakh.
The accused, identified as Amiya Kumar Sahu (45), a Data Entry Operator (DEO) in the District Welfare Officer’s office at the Cuttack Collector’s office, and Sangita Singh (38), a Physical Education Teacher at Janata Nodal Vidyalaya in Begunia block, were apprehended following a complaint lodged by the survivor. The arrests were made after police traced financial transactions through bank details and mobile screenshots, revealing a calculated scheme to siphon off the victim’s compensation funds.
The survivor, originally from Narsinghpur in Cuttack district, was a minor at the time of the rape incident in 2020. Now an adult, she was awarded ₹5 lakh in compensation by the Legal Services Authority as per court orders. Of this, ₹3.75 lakh had already been disbursed to her. However, on May 17, the survivor approached the Lalbagh police, alleging that certain employees at the Collector’s office had coerced her into parting with ₹1.01 lakh of her compensation funds through threats and intimidation.
Acting on the complaint, Lalbagh police, under the supervision of Station House Officer Sudhanshu Bhushan Jena, formed a special investigation team. The team’s probe, aided by bank transaction records provided by the survivor, uncovered the involvement of Sahu and Singh. The duo was detained for questioning, during which they confessed to orchestrating the fraud. Police seized four mobile phones and screenshots of financial transactions as evidence. On Monday, both accused were produced in court, as confirmed by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Amarendra Panda during a press conference.
Investigations revealed that Sahu, the mastermind behind the scheme, had previously worked as a DEO in the Banki block office, where he met Singh, a resident of Ranpur under Banki police station. Their acquaintance grew over time, and even after Sahu’s transfer to the Cuttack Collector’s office, they remained in contact. The survivor, now married and residing in Nayagarh, had her compensation funds processed through the District Welfare Officer’s office in March 2025. Sahu, involved in preparing related documents, saw an opportunity to exploit the situation.
Sahu roped in Singh, a native of Narsinghpur familiar with the survivor’s case, to execute the plan. Posing as an official from the Collector’s office, Singh contacted the survivor, demanding ₹1.01 lakh under the pretext of facilitating the compensation process. Repeated threatening calls coerced the survivor into transferring the amount in three instalments via UPI (PhonePe) to two unknown accounts linked to Singh’s relatives. Singh promptly transferred the money to her bank account and shared it with Sahu.
Suspicion arose when the survivor, after weeks of silence from Singh, attempted to follow up. Finding her calls blocked, she reported the matter to the police, triggering the investigation. Authorities are now probing whether the duo has defrauded others in similar schemes, with ADCP Panda stating that further inquiries are underway.
This incident has sparked outrage, highlighting the vulnerability of survivors seeking justice and the audacity of public servants exploiting their positions. The case underscores the need for stricter oversight in the disbursement of victim compensation funds to prevent such betrayals of trust.
