Berhampur: Odisha Police has arrested a 43-year-old realtor in Ganjam district for allegedly duping over Rs 5 crore from nearly 200 people under the pretext of allotting residential plots, officials said Sunday. The accused has been identified as Chetan Kumar Choudhury, son of a former president of the district Congress unit.
According to police, Chetan of Gosaninuagaon in Berhampur city allegedly collected monthly installments from buyers through his office staff since August 2019 with the assurance to allot plots to them in September 2021. However, when the investors began demanding their promised plots on the due date, Choudhury allegedly refused responsibility, claiming the receipts issued were fake and that he had no knowledge of the scheme. On Saturday, an investor lodged a police complaint against Choudhury.
Based on his complaint, a criminal case was registered against him under different sections of BNS and an investigation was launched. Another case was also pending against him in Bada Bazar police station here, they said. Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused swindled over Rs 5 crore from around 200 people under the pretext of providing residential plots though a detailed monthly money investment scheme, Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M said.
Police seized the layout plan of the proposed plots, money receipts, daily collection slips and some other documents from the possession of the accused, he said.