Bhubaneswar, Sept 16: The Badagada police on Monday arrested a 55-year-old man for allegedly cheating a city resident of Rs 18 lakh by promising a job for his son at National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) using forged documents. The accused, identified as Naresh Barik alias Butu of Pragati Vihar, posed as an Assistant General Manager (AGM) at NALCO to gain the victim’s trust.

According to police, Barik initially introduced himself as a dealer for Reliance and NALCO before claiming to hold an executive position in the public sector company. The case (PS Case No. 429/2025, dated August 6) was registered under Sections 419, 420, 468, and 34 of the IPC on the basis of a complaint filed by Sarbeswar Samal.

Samal stated he met Barik in 2021, when Barik and an associate, Dillip Bhatta, convinced him of a lucrative job opportunity. Believing the claim, Samal paid Rs 18 lakh through PhonePe, Google Pay, bank transfers, and cash. In exchange, Barik allegedly handed over forged appointment letters, ID cards, gate passes, and medical certificates.

The fraud surfaced on March 19, when Samal’s son visited the NALCO office and discovered the documents were fake. Police later recovered fake papers, cheques worth Rs 10 lakh, and digital payment records. Barik was arrested on Monday afternoon and produced before court.

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