Cuttack, the millennium city, has become the latest hotspot for a shocking case of fraud involving a fake police officer. Gundicha Dalei, the accused, was arrested by the Badambadi police for allegedly extorting Rs 1.5 lakh from an unsuspecting job aspirant under false pretenses.
According to the police, Dalei introduced himself as an inspector with the Cuttack Rural Police and promised Jitanshu Shekhar Parida, an aspiring home guard candidate, a secure job placement. Trusting Dalei’s assurances, Parida handed over Rs 1.5 lakh as an advance payment. However, when no job confirmation came, Parida realized he had been scammed and quickly filed a complaint with the police.
Cuttack DCP informed, “The complainant reported that Gundicha Dalei promised him a home guard job. The complainant, a security guard, had applied for the position. Dalei had identified himself as a police officer. Based on the complaint, we registered a case and arrested the accused. He has duped around 30 to 40 aspirants. During the search, we seized several fake police uniforms, identity cards, name plates, caps, and other materials. We also froze around Rs 4 lakh in his bank account.”
Following the complaint, the police launched an investigation that quickly led to Dalei’s arrest. In a press briefing, the DCP revealed that Dalei was a habitual fraudster, having deceived 30 to 40 individuals using the same tactic. The authorities froze Rs 4 lakh in Dalei’s bank account, believed to have been acquired through similar scams.
Additionally, police recovered several pieces of crucial evidence, including fake police uniforms, forged identity cards, official stamps, caps, and mobile phones—items that were part of Dalei’s elaborate ruse to pose as a legitimate officer.
