Scam / Bank Staff under Scanner in Odisha as Bhubaneswar Police Bust Benami Account Racket

Bhubaneswar, Sep 8: The Commissionerate Police in Bhubaneswar has exposed a large-scale racket involving benami bank accounts, leading to the arrest of three individuals while the alleged mastermind remains absconding.

The fraud, which siphoned off nearly ₹35 lakh from Bhubaneswar and Gujarat, was orchestrated through fake companies and multiple bank accounts.

According to police sources, the accused had floated a company named PP Hospitality and Services Pvt. Ltd. under which they opened 25 accounts across 14 banks in Bhubaneswar.

These accounts were later sold to cyber fraudsters operating in Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai for amounts ranging between ₹20,000 and ₹50,000 per account.

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The racket came to light after an event management firm’s owner had his phone number hacked in August. Using his photo and number, fraudsters tricked a vendor into transferring ₹5 lakh, followed by another demand of ₹10 lakh, which raised suspicion and led to a complaint at the Cyber Police Station.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Jitendra Kumar Khuntia, Purushottam Behera, and Rajesh Kumar Jena. The mastermind, Krishna Chandra Behera, is currently on the run.

Police raids led to the seizure of three mobile phones, 10 debit cards, nine credit cards, forged documents, and several digital devices.

Investigations revealed that Purushottam, a school dropout working as a driver, and Rajesh, a painter, were lured into becoming joint directors of the fake company with promises of earning ₹20 lakh per month. Their photos and forged signatures were used to legitimize the accounts.

Meanwhile, Krishna and Jitendra managed the operations, selling accounts to cyber gangs across India. The accused had previously been arrested in Muradabad, Delhi, but resumed operations in Odisha after securing bail.

Apart from PP Hospitality, they also floated PR Traders and Bizmorph Multi Pvt. Ltd., against which 107 complaints have been registered nationwide.

Police suspect the involvement of bank employees, as accounts were opened with apparent insider knowledge. ACP Suchismita Das confirmed that bank staff linked to these accounts will also be brought under investigation.

Raids are ongoing in Kalahandi, the native place of the absconding directors.