Bhubaneswar: Commissionerate Police Monday arrested a person for fraudulently withdrawing approximately Rs 10 lakhs from the bank account of a 71-year-old woman doctor through UPI transactions. The accused identified as Manoj Mahana, 35, is a resident of Damana area under Chandrasekharpur police limits. Police sources claimed that Manoj Mahana was working as the driver of the septuagenarian victim, Gauri Das of Chandrasekharpur locality.
Das was recently admitted to a private hospital in the city after she suffered a fracture in her thigh. Mahana used to help out the doctor buying medicines for her and withdrawing cash from the bank.
Taking advantage of her infirmity and trust on him, Mahana installed ‘Phonepe’, the digital payments application, on the lady’s mobile phone without her permission. He later transferred Rs 9.95 lakh to his personal and family members’ accounts.
In January, the lady doctor’s son who was staying abroad decided to take her outside Odisha for advanced medical treatment. The fraud came to fore when Das’s brother, V Pattnaik went to the bank where the she has her account to withdraw cash January 18, 2022.
Pattnaik was shocked when the bank staff informed him that around Rs 10 lakh had been withdrawn from the account through UPI. Later, Pattnaik filed a case (7/22) at the Cyber Crime and Economic Offence police station.
Mahana was Monday sent to judicial custody after rejecting his bail plea.
