Bhubaneswar police foiled a daring fraud attempt by two Haryana men posing as senior Ministry of Home Affairs officials, arresting them on Sunday for cheating and impersonation.
The accused, Choudhury Rinku Saini (36) of Karnal and Maninder Singh (39) of Sonipat, tried to simulate VIP movements using a convoy of police pilot vehicles. Saini claimed to be the national chairman of a fictitious “Social Justice and Women Empowerment Commission,” while Singh acted as his personal assistant.
Police were alerted after receiving a suspicious letter from the duo on October 2, outlining Saini’s alleged visit to Odisha on October 3–4. The itinerary requested police escort vehicles for airport pickup, temple visits to Lingaraj, Mukteswar, and Rajarani, and an overnight stay at a five-star hotel.
Verification with the Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed that no such commission or letter existed. Authorities discovered that Saini’s identification cards and official-looking letters were forged.
A trap was set at Biju Patnaik International Airport, and the duo was arrested upon arrival. Commissioner of Police S Dev Datta Singh noted that Saini had prior involvement in frauds in Haryana, and the police are investigating other possible victims of their schemes.
Authorities have urged anyone defrauded by Saini or Singh to report the case to their nearest police station or the inspector-in-charge of Maitri Vihar police station.
