In a major breakthrough, the Odisha Crime Branch has arrested Khirod Kumar Nayak (39), a relationship manager at AXIS Bank in Cuttack, for allegedly defrauding a senior citizen widow of Rs 2.3 crore. The fraud was carried out under the guise of fixed deposit investments.
The victim, a widow from Cuttack, had several accounts with AXIS Bank’s Badambadi branch. After the death of her husband, she relied on Nayak, who regularly visited her to manage her accounts. Nayak convinced her to move funds from her savings account into a fixed deposit to earn better returns. However, unbeknownst to her, Nayak took advantage of her trust and withdrew Rs 2.3 crore from her FD account, transferring it to the account of one Sumitra Khuntia, an unknown individual.
The fraud was uncovered when the widow was notified about an overdraft loan on her account. Upon investigation, she discovered that her registered mobile number had been changed, preventing her from receiving OTPs for any transactions.
During interrogation, Nayak, a bank employee for over 20 years, admitted to changing the victim’s mobile number, enabling him to withdraw money from her account and transfer it to accounts he controlled. The funds were then used to purchase insurance policies in the names of people he trusted. Authorities also froze Rs 20 lakh in one of his accounts and seized several banking documents, including 32 ATM cards, chequebooks, and mobile phones.
The investigation continues, and the Crime Branch is looking into other potential victims and the role of accomplices in the scam.
