2 arrested from Odisha for duping Delhi trader of Rs 20 lakh

Delhi Police has arrested two men from Odisha's Bhubaneswar for allegedly cheating a rice trader of Rs 20 lakh by posing as representatives of a company selling agricultural products, police said on Saturday.

Two of the accused, identified as Basudev Swain (35), a resident of Lucknow, and Deepak Kumar (40), a resident of Varanasi, were apprehended on Thursday, they said.

According to the police, the complainant, who runs a rice and food supply business in northwest Delhi, alleged that Swain and Kumar, along with a co-accused Amit Kumar Singh, approached him posing as officials of Smartvalue Ltd.

They claimed the company wanted to purchase rice for testing and future large-scale procurement.

''Trusting their credentials, the complainant supplied rice worth around Rs 20 lakh against proper bills. However, the accused later switched off their phones and went incommunicado,'' Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Bhisham Singh said.

Upon verification, it was found that the documents and seals they used were forged, and none of them were associated with the company, he added.

They have been charged with cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.

During the investigation, the complainant produced bills and forged documents given by the accused.

The authorised representative of Smartvalue Ltd. confirmed in writing that the accused were not connected to the company in any capacity, Singh said.

''After extensive technical surveillance and local intelligence inputs, the team conducted raids in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, and arrested both accused,'' he said.

During the interrogation, the two admitted to their involvement and revealed that they had been committing such offences to earn easy money.

The accused had forged official papers and seals of reputed companies to gain the confidence of their victims, the police said.

Further investigation is underway to trace their associates and identify other victims who may have been duped under this modus operandi, the DCP said.