The Berhampur police arrested Epili Mithun, the 35-year-old branch manager of ICICI Bank’s Gosani Nuagam branch, on Wednesday in connection with a scam that defrauded customers of approximately Rs 45.5 lakh. Mithun allegedly deceived multiple individuals by promising them high returns through a fake gift card scheme.
The fraudulent activities were uncovered after three victims, Chandan Kumar Padhy, M. Devi Prasad, and Sandeep Kumar Sahu, approached the bank’s Gosaninuagaon branch, expressing their concerns over Mithun’s failure to return their invested money. After being threatened with harassment charges when they demanded their money back, the victims filed formal complaints with the Berhampur Town Police Station.
Investigations revealed that the victims, who had previously taken loans from the Dharmanagar branch of ICICI Bank in 2023 while Mithun was managing the branch, were deceived by him. Mithun initially gained their trust by providing loans and later persuaded them to invest in a series of fraudulent schemes, including gift cards, loyalty programs, and Forex & Petro cards, all promising substantial returns.
The total amount defrauded from the victims consisted of Rs 16.5 lakh via credit card transactions and Rs 29 lakh in cash. The police also confiscated several incriminating documents, including credit card transaction details, from Mithun’s possession during the investigation.
Authorities have registered a case against Mithun, and the investigation is ongoing. Seized items include Mithun’s mobile phones and financial documents. As of now, the police have not made further comments regarding the case.
