Bhubaneswar, March 31, 2025 – A sitting Odisha MLA and former IT minister lost ₹1.4 crore to cyber fraud over one-and-a-half months, prompting a police crackdown that led to the arrest of seven suspects from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The Crime Branch cyber unit found that the accused posed as trade analysts, luring victims into investing in IPOs, shares, and trading schemes with promises of high returns. The fraudsters siphoned the money between November 13, 2024, and January 1, 2025, through a mobile app, said Crime Branch IG Sarthak Sarangi.
The complainant, BJD MLA and former IT minister Tusharkanti Behera, claimed a friend had used his trading account and lost the money. The Crime Branch has recovered ₹4 lakh and frozen ₹15 lakh in bank accounts spread across Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, West Bengal, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, and Maharashtra.
Investigations are ongoing, with teams set to travel to Hyderabad, West Bengal, and Delhi to track down more suspects. The case highlights the rising threat of cyber fraud, with a university vice-chancellor and a Navy officer also recently falling prey.
