Daringbadi: Police Friday arrested a man on charge of impersonating himself as a Maoist leader and extorting money from a businessman of Kirikuti panchayat under this block in Kandhamal district.
The accused was identified as Badanga Pradhan of Gluda village under Tileri panchayat. Police seized three ATM cards and a mobile phone from his possession.
According to police, Pradhan wrote letters to businessman Goura Chandra Sahu threatening him to keep Rs 3 lakh in a pot and drop it at a spot mentioned in the letter.
He threatened Sahu with dire consequences if he failed to leave the money at the given place.
Fearing for his life, Sahu put Rs 50,000 in a pot and kept it at the site mentioned in the letter. Similarly, another letter reached him demanding Rs 80,000. Accordingly, Sahu kept it in a pot and put the pot at the spot as wanted by Pradhan.
However, Pradhan’s demands increased every month. He sent more letters and demanded more money. With no options left, Sahu approached Daringbadi police and lodged a written complaint. Police registered a case and spread a net to arrest Pradhan.
Acting on a tip-off, police arrested Pradhan while he was wandering around in Simanbadi. “There are more fake Maoists involved in the case,” said Daringbadi IIC Kamallochan Behera.
However, Pradhan refuted allegations of threatening Sahu and impersonating himself as a Maoist. He said he had a previous enmity with Sahu over some import and export of goods.
“Sahu is framing me over the previous enmity,” Pradhan said. PNN
