Berhampur police on Friday arrested Rita Dalai (70) and Sanjeev Ratan (42) for allegedly defrauding a man of approximately Rs 67 lakh by selling non-existent land in Nilakanthapur mouza, Berhampur tehsil.
The victim, Milan Kumar Sahu (42) of Padma Nagar, alleged that he purchased 0.042 decimal of land in December last year after receiving records of rights (RoR). The total transaction cost was Rs 64,96,500, with an additional Rs 2 lakh paid for deed writing and registration. Sahu transferred Rs 21.8 lakh to seller Jalandhar Dalai, while the remaining amount was paid in cash in the presence of Rita Dalai, Sanjeev Ratan, and another unidentified accomplice.
Upon further inquiry, Sahu discovered that the land never existed: part of it belonged to another person, while the remaining portion was a public road. Police sources confirmed that two more individuals allegedly involved in the scam would be arrested soon.
The Berhampur town police station has registered a case and is investigating the fraudulent sale and the network behind it. Authorities have urged the public to verify land records carefully before making property transactions.
