₹13 Lakh Seized in Multi-District Job Fraud; Key Supervisor Arrested in Sambalpur

Sambalpur: In a major breakthrough in a multi-district job recruitment fraud case, Burla police on Wednesday seized ₹13 lakh from one of the prime accused, identified as Bhagyashree Mahananda of Charpali.

According to police sources, Mahananda allegedly acted as a supervisor in a fake employment racket operating under the name RMAX Pvt. Ltd. The accused had reportedly collected money from 492 unsuspecting job seekers, promising them employment as sweepers at a daily wage of ₹400. Each applicant was made to pay ₹12,000 as an “appointment fee.”

The fraudulent network is believed to have operated across Sambalpur, Bargarh, Boudh, and Subarnapur districts, duping hundreds of people seeking low-income jobs.

The case came to light after a complaint was lodged by Padma Lochan Gardia of Kardola village, Chipilima, leading to the registration of Case No. 464/2025 at Burla Police Station on October 23. Acting on the complaint, police arrested Rahul alias Samrat Roy of Badbazar, Sambalpur, and Padmabati Tandi of Satupali village on the same day.

During interrogation, Roy reportedly revealed the names of 18 supervisors and agents—13 men and 5 women—linked to the racket. Police have since identified and interrogated all of them. Among them, Mahananda was found to have collected ₹13 lakh from job seekers in the Sambalpur region.

The police have seized cash worth ₹13 lakh, along with Aadhaar cards, bank passbooks, and photographs of several victims.

Authorities stated that the investigation is ongoing to trace the money trail and identify other potential accomplices and victims involved in the large-scale job scam.