Odisha Crime Branch Busts ₹1.28 Crore Investment Scam, Five Arrested

Bhubaneswar: In a major crackdown on online investment frauds worth crores of rupees, the Cyber Crime Unit of the Odisha Crime Branch has arrested five individuals from various parts of the country.

The arrests were made in connection with Case No. 50/2024, registered at the CID-CB Cyber Crime Police Station. Among those apprehended is Hiteshbhai Patra, a native of Balasore, Odisha, currently residing in Surat, Gujarat. Patra, who works as a website developer and designer, has been identified as a first-layer account holder in an investment scam involving ₹1.28 crore.

During the investigation, it was found that ₹27 lakh was directly deposited into Patra’s bank account. A raid on his premises led to the seizure of six bank cheque books, 31 debit and credit cards, 13 rubber stamps of various fictitious companies, 12 mobile phones, several SIM cards, four pen drives, and eight government and non-government ID cards.

The Crime Branch has intensified its efforts to dismantle the wider network behind the online fraud and warned citizens to remain cautious while dealing with investment offers online.

Further investigation is underway.