The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha’s state police arrested two brothers for impersonating Enforcement Directorate officers and extorting over Rs 16 lakh from government officials. The arrests occurred in Dhenkanal district on Saturday, following a complaint by Chhatrapur sub-collector Debadatta Mohanta.
Police said the duo, identified as Tarinisen Mohapatra, 30, and Brahmashankar Mohapatra, 27, both brothers, under financial duress from unpaid debts, allegedly devised a scheme to defraud government employees. The accused posed as the “Additional Director of ED Bhubaneswar” and contacted around 300 state officials, an STF officer said.
Their scam involved coercing money through digital payment platforms like PhonePe and GPay and issuing counterfeit “clearance letters” to absolve the officials of fabricated “charges.” The police traced transactions amounting to more than Rs 16 lakh, reported news agency PTI.
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During the arrest, authorities seized a laptop, a desktop, five mobile phones, multiple bank passbooks and chequebooks, fake ID cards and 17 ATM cards, indicating the extent of their fraudulent activities.
The case highlighted the vulnerability of government officials to such deceptive practices and the importance of vigilance in the face of sophisticated scams.