Odisha Police arrest man posing as BJP president's aide for extortion
Odisha Police have arrested a 28-year-old man for allegedly demanding money while posing as the personal assistant of BJP national president Nitin Nabin, officials said
Odisha Police have arrested a 28-year-old man for allegedly demanding money while posing as the personal assistant of BJP national president Nitin Nabin, officials said. The accused, identified as Jagannath Mandal, is a resident of Panchama under Golanthara police station in Ganjam district. Police said Mandal allegedly sought Rs 50,000 from two different individuals on April 1 through a WhatsApp number for party work. He also allegedly threatened to complain against them to the BJP president if they did not comply.
Read Full Story One of the men lodged a complaint at the Town police station in Berhampur on Friday, while another complaint was filed at the Bada Bazar police station, officials said. Based on the complaints, cases were registered at both police stations and Mandal was arrested. Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M said a preliminary investigation showed that Mandal had earlier been arrested in a cheating case on December 13, 2024.
The SP said Mandal had been living alternately in Surat in Gujarat and Berhampur, and was involved in fraudulent activities, including hoax calls to political workers while impersonating the personal assistants of prominent political figures. The SP urged people to stay alert against impersonation and fraudulent calls, and asked them to verify the identity and credentials of anyone claiming to represent political leaders, parties or government officials before responding to demands for money or sharing sensitive information.
He also said any such suspicious calls should be reported to the nearest police station immediately. The case centres on allegations that Mandal posed as a political aide, demanded money from two people and threatened them, after which complaints were filed and police arrested him while also warning the public to remain vigilant against similar fraud. Ends
The BriefWire