Udala: Police arrested a 40-year-old woman for duping people of more than Rs 3 crore by impersonating a senior Labour department official and falsely promising government loans.
The accused, identified as Binodini Nayak of the Balani police station area in Keonjhar district, was arrested from the Hanspal area of Bhubaneswar following a complaint lodged at Kaptipada police station.
Police said Nayak targeted both men and women by claiming to be a senior officer in the Labour department. About six months ago, she organised a meeting in the Kaunrapur area under Kaptipada police limits, where she assured attendees that she could arrange government loans. Believing her, more than 20 people collectively paid her over Rs 30 lakh. Neither the promised loans ever materialised, nor was the money returned.
After repeated attempts to contact her failed, a victim, Santosh Kumar Pati of Parasibadi village, submitted a written complaint to the police. During the investigation, police found that multiple cheating cases had already been registered against Nayak at Kaptipada, Udala, Bhanjpur, Kharavela Nagar and Balipatana police stations.
Preliminary findings indicate that she cheated victims of around Rs 3 crore across several districts. Investigators said the accused used more than 30 SIM cards to evade detection, frequently changing numbers after committing fraud in one area. Records show cases against her were registered between March 2025 and January 2026.
Police also alleged that Nayak used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle, including travel in expensive vehicles. A case (08/26) has been registered at Kaptipada police station. Station officer Madhusmita Mohanty said further investigation is underway and raids are being conducted to identify others involved in the racket.
