Phulnakhara: Cuttack Sadar police Friday arrested a middle-aged man from Bhadrak on charges of cheating people by raising funds from them on the pretext of covering the steep cost of his son’s leukaemia treatment.
Police said they have arrested Sukanta Puhan, a resident of Astak in Dhusuri police limits of Bhadrak, on the basis of a complaint filed by Basant Kumar Rath, a resident here, alleging fraud.
“A case (161/18) has been registered against Puhan under several Sections of the IPC and the accused was produced in a court,” Cuttack Sadar inspector in-charge (IIC) Sudhanshu Bhushan Jena said.
According to the complaint, claiming that he was unable to bear the medical expenses of his son, who has been diagnosed with cancer, Puhan had published an advertisement in media seeking donations from generous people.
“Puhan had even shared his bank account details in the advertisement. To his fortune, his idea clicked and the fraudster received a huge amount in his bank account from several people,” police said.
Rath, a media man who had also made some donations, found Puhan maintaining a lavish lifestyle and spending on luxury items a few days ago. After tracking Puhan, Rath claimed to have found the former as a fraud.
Rath lodged a complaint with Cuttack Sadar police who tracked Puhan’s cell phone location to Astak village in Bhadrak and arrested him.
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