In a bizarre turn of events, the Berhampur police have arrested Ashok Kumar Panigrahy for staging a fake cash snatching incident to steal over Rs 4.15 lakh from his employer, a jaggery trader. Panigrahy, a resident of Gandala, reportedly concocted the entire story to cover his mounting debts related to IPL cricket betting and house construction.
The incident came to light when Panigrahy, who had been handling financial transactions for the trader for two years, filed a complaint at the Nimakhandi police station on Tuesday. In his complaint, he claimed that two unidentified motorcyclists snatched his bag containing Rs 4.15 lakh at Marthapalli Chhaka while he was on his way to deposit the money at the bank.
However, during the investigation, the police found no evidence to support Panigrahy’s allegations. The CCTV footage from the area showed no such snatching incident. Upon further questioning, Panigrahy confessed to fabricating the crime. The police subsequently recovered the entire sum of Rs 4,15,620 from his house in Gandala, where he had hidden the money.
According to SP (Berhampur) Saravana Vivek M, Panigrahy was under intense financial pressure due to his betting losses and loans for house construction. “The accused saw the fake snatching incident as an opportunity to resolve his financial problems,” the SP added.
The full amount was later returned to the trader on Friday, and Panigrahy was arrested for his involvement in the fraudulent act.
