In a shocking case of impersonation and fraud, the Khunta Police in Mayurbhanj district arrested three individuals for allegedly duping job seekers by posing as a senior IAS officer. The accused managed to defraud at least 15 victims out of more than Rs 20 lakh by promising them government jobs.
The prime suspect, Manoj Acharya, is an assistant teacher at Bairatpur School in Udala. Authorities believe Acharya was the mastermind behind this elaborate scheme. His accomplices, Dilip Jena, an engineer, and Lohitash Jena, a resident of Kalikapur in Baripada, were also involved in executing the scam.
According to police reports, the trio targeted desperate job seekers, claiming to have influential connections with a senior IAS officer. They promised to secure government jobs for the victims in exchange for substantial sums of money.
The fraud was uncovered when Brundaban Marandi, an Assistant Block Education Officer (ABEO), lodged a formal complaint against Acharya. Marandi alleged that Acharya had taken Rs 1.30 lakh from his nephew, promising a government job. After the job failed to materialize, Acharya demanded an additional Rs 40,000. When the money wasn’t refunded, Marandi approached the Khunta police, leading to Acharya’s arrest.
