The state crime branch arrested three individuals on Friday in connection with two separate cyber fraud cases in Bhubaneswar, involving a total loss of RS3.5 crore.
Prins Raj (31) from Begusarai, Bihar, was taken into custody for his alleged role in an online trading scam. Between December 2024 and March 2025, a Bhubaneswar-based businessman was duped of Rs2.06 crore.
Police said the victim was added to a WhatsApp group on December 23, 2024, where a member posing as a fund manager from a reputed company guided him to make investments. Over three months, the businessman transferred Rs2,06,07,500 across 54 transactions to five different accounts. Investigators noted that Raj’s account received the bulk of the money, and several other suspects linked to the case have already been arrested.
In a separate operation, Himansu Prasad Karna (36) and his wife Sailendri Karna (31) from Angul district were arrested for defrauding another Bhubaneswar businessman of Rs1.55 crore through a fraudulent investment scheme in April last year.
Authorities are continuing investigations to trace additional accomplices, recover the lost funds, and prevent further online investment frauds.
