Bhubaneswar: Odisha ADG Crime Branch Soumendra Priyadarshi on Saturday said that expelled BJD MLA from Gopalpur Pradeep Panigrahi has defrauded people on pretext of offering them employment in TATA Motors.
Mr Priyadarshi, in a press conference here in Cuttack, said so far six of the youths cheated by one accused — Akash Pathak — have lodged complaints with the crime branch.
While two of the six complainants have transferred the money to the bank accounts of Mr Pradip Panigrahi , four others have given money to either Mr Panigrahi or his associates.
David Peter, who was working as the Personal Assistant of Akash at Pune and Bhubaneswar and some witnesses during interrogation told police that many others have also given money for jobs and got cheated.
The ADG asked the job aspiring youths who are cheated but have not filed complainant so far due to fear or for any other reasons to come forward and lodge the complaint.
He assured to inquire into all allegations and take action as per law.
The ADG said a case was filed in the Cyber Police Station of the Crime branch on September 23 last on the basis of the report submitted by the DGM Ethics Trilochan Mohanty against Akash Pathak.
The case was filed against Mr Akash Kumar Pathak U/s 419,420,467, 468,469,471 and U/S 66(c) (b) of the IT Act.
As per the FIR Akash Pathak projecting himself as I/C MD of Tata Motors had cheated the company and the common people by preparing fake Identity card, visiting card and creating fake e mail id using the Tata Motors logo.
Mr Priyadarshi said Akash had also cheated job aspiring youths by taking money from them with a promise to provide them jobs in Tata Motors.
During inquiry it was revealed that six aspiring youths had given huge amount of money to Goaplpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahi, the would be father in law of Akash and his associates.
The youths had given money as Mr Panigrahi and his associates had stated that Mr Akash Pathak was working as a MD of Tata Motors.
They have also started online training for candidates selected through fake online interviews.
A Bhubaneswar Court on Thursday last had allowed the state Crime Branch to take Akash Pathak, son of suspended IFS officer Abhay Kanta Pathak on five day remand from yesterday.
Akash and his father Abhay Kanta Pathak were arrested by the state Vigilance on November 27 on the charges of possessing assets disproportionate to the known source of their income. Akash who was arrested in corruption case is the prime accused in the Job scam.