Bhubaneswar: Bharatpur police on Monday arrested a 53-year-old man for allegedly cheating a retired schoolteacher of Rs 1.13 crore by promising railway jobs for his two sons. The accused was identified as Rohit Kumar Panda .




According to police, Panda demanded Rs 1.2 crore from the retired teacher, a resident of the city’s Kolathia area, assuring him that he could secure railway jobs for his sons.




“To win the complainant’s trust, the accused projected himself as a well-connected person with access to influential ministers and railway officials. He sought Rs 1.2 crore and persuaded the victim that the jobs could be arranged through his contacts,” a senior police officer said.




Police said the retired teacher arranged Rs 1.13 crore in cash — with part of the money coming from his savings and the rest borrowed from relatives — and gave it to Panda in June. As months passed without any news on the promised employment, the victim grew suspicious and demanded a refund.




“Panda offered to transfer a patch of land worth Rs 55 lakh in Rayagada district and also handed over five cheques amounting to Rs 59 lakh. The cheques bounced and the promised land was never transferred. Following a complaint lodged by the victim’s wife on Aug 4, we initiated an investigation and arrested the accused,” the officer said.