The Cyber Crime and Economic Offence Police of Cuttack Urban Police District (UPD) arrested five persons on Tuesday for allegedly duping a 72-year-old retired government employee of Rs 88 lakh through a sextortion racket.
The arrested accused have been identified as Manoj Kumar Jena (27), Prafulla Kumar Biswal (65), Sangram Jena (22), Basudev Rout, all residents of Jajpur district, and Manoranjan Routray (60) from Bhubaneswar. Police said the prime accused, Saroj Kumar Jena, is currently absconding.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo said the case came to light after the victim lodged a complaint on Monday. According to the complaint, Saroj Jena and his associates first contacted the victim through Facebook in January 2025. Over time, they gained his trust through repeated interactions and meetings at hotels.
In May 2025, Saroj allegedly sought Rs 1.48 lakh from the victim for medical treatment, which was transferred online. The amount was later repaid, further strengthening the victim’s trust. Subsequently, Saroj again demanded money, citing his daughter’s medical expenses. When the victim refused, the accused allegedly plotted to extort him.
As part of the plan, the accused made a WhatsApp video call featuring a nude woman and secretly recorded the interaction without the victim’s knowledge. They then threatened to circulate the video on social media unless money was transferred. Using this tactic, the accused allegedly extorted around Rs 88 lakh from the victim over multiple transactions.
Following the complaint, police formed special teams and arrested five accused on the same day. Authorities seized over Rs 14 lakh in cash, gold ornaments, silver items, two two-wheelers, and froze more than Rs 5 lakh in bank accounts. Efforts are ongoing to trace and arrest the prime accused.
