Brahmapur, Jun 20: Brahmapur Town Police have arrested a 28‑year‑old man for impersonation and extortion after he falsely posed as the Personal Assistant (PA) of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Nitin Nabin.

The accused, identified as Jagannath Mandal, son of Sisir Mandal and resident of Mahanty Street, Panchama under Golanthara police station, was arrested in connection with Brahmapur Town PS Case No. 279 dated June 19, 2026. He faces charges under Sections 340(2), 351(2)(4), and 296 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to police, the case began when complainant Rajesh Kumar Patra (33) reported that on April 1, 2026, he received a WhatsApp call from mobile number 9692243697, saved as “NITIN NABIN PA.”

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The caller introduced himself as the PA of Nitin Nabin and demanded ₹50,000 for party work, threatening to lodge a complaint against him with the local MLA if he refused.

A similar complaint was filed at Badabazar PS by Ganesh Nahak (23), who works as an assistant to the MLA of Chikiti. He reported receiving a WhatsApp call from the same number on April 1, where the caller again demanded ₹50,000 and threatened to file a false complaint.

Based on this, Badabazar PS registered Case No. 433 dated June 19, 2026 under the same BNS sections.

During investigation, police seized screenshots provided by the complainants and a Samsung mobile phone from the accused, confirming his involvement in fraudulent activities.

Police revealed that Mandal has a history of similar crimes. He was previously arrested in December 2024 in Badabazar PS Case No. 429 under multiple BNS sections for impersonation and fraud.

Mandal has been residing intermittently in Surat and Brahmapur, engaging in deceptive hoax calls to political workers while impersonating personal assistants of prominent leaders.

Authorities have forwarded the accused to court and stated that further investigation is ongoing.

Advisory to the Public

Police have urged citizens to remain vigilant against impersonation and fraudulent calls. They advised verifying the identity of anyone claiming to represent political leaders or government officials before responding to financial demands. Suspicious calls should be reported immediately to the nearest police station.