Bhubaneswar, Sept 9: A man who allegedly posed as the personal assistant (PA) to Odisha’s Deputy Chief Minister and used photographs with prominent political leaders to lure job seekers has been arrested for allegedly duping people of around Rs 1 crore, police said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Jagannath Bahalia, was arrested from Digha in West Bengal by a team of Bhadrak Town Police following complaints of fraud.

According to police, Bahalia allegedly introduced himself as the Deputy Chief Minister’s PA and displayed photographs of himself with the Deputy CM and other political leaders to establish his purported political connections and influence. He allegedly used these photographs to gain the confidence of unemployed youths and promised them government jobs in exchange for money.

In one reported case, a youth from Simulia in Balasore district was allegedly promised a Railway job. Bahalia reportedly collected Rs 10 lakh from him and later handed over a fake appointment letter.

Police suspect that several others may have been similarly cheated. Cases have reportedly been registered in Balasore, Bhadrak and Cuttack districts.

Following complaints, Bhadrak Town Police launched an investigation and traced the accused to Digha. Police are now probing the total amount allegedly collected, identifying other victims and determining whether anyone else was involved in the suspected racket.

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