Bhubaneswar: The economic offences wing (EOW) of state crime branch on Friday arrested three men for allegedly defrauding investors in Odisha and several other states of nearly Rs 2 crore. The trio allegedly lured victims with false promises of quick and substantial returns through online trading schemes.The accused have been identified as Bikram Keshari Sahoo, Dinesh Moharana and Sarbanam Sabat, all in their 40s and residents of Bhubaneswar. EOW officers said the accused organised promotional meetings in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, as well as in Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh during 2023 to attract investors.
“One of the victims from Cuttack, who was duped of Rs 41.30 lakh in 2023, recently lodged a complaint with us, which led to the arrests,” said SP of EOW, Dilip Tripathy.The complainant claimed that he delayed approaching police because the accused repeatedly assured him that his money would be refunded. “They kept him waiting for years with false assurances. When no refund came, he finally sought our help,” Tripathy said.EOW investigators revealed that the accused persuaded multiple investors to deposit money in online trading schemes, promising high returns within a short period. After collecting the funds, they allegedly shut down company websites and mobile applications before fleeing, leaving investors in the lurch.
