Man held for impersonating ITDC contractor to sell Hotel Nilachal Ashok in Puri

BHUBANESWAR: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch arrested a person, Anikesh Sahu, for allegedly impersonating as a contractor involved in various projects of India Tourism Development Corporation Limited (ITDC) and cheating a businessman to the tune of Rs 50 lakh on the pretext of selling Hotel Nilachal Ashok in Puri.

Bijayini Mohanty, the wife of Tapan Kumar Mohanty, lodged a complaint with the agency alleging Anikesh, former contractual assistant engineer of Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC), Chandan Akash Mohanty, and another accused met her husband in January last year and insisted him to purchase ITDC's Nilachal Ashok for Rs 15 crore.

The EOW registered a case in this connection on Thursday, apprehended Anikesh a day later, and produced him in a court on Saturday.

Chandan impersonated a senior official of ITDC and the third accused claimed he was working as a clerk in the corporation.

Anikesh, Chandan and their associate approached Tapan, proprietor of TK Egg and Chicken Centre in Puri, through one of his friends and executed an agreement in February 2020 to sell the hotel. Chandan executed the fake agreement in the capacity of authorised signatory for ITDC, and Anikesh and another accused signed as witnesses.

In order to gain the trust of the complainant, the accused asked him to deposit Rs 20 lakh in ITDC's official account in Delhi and took Rs 30 lakh cash from him. 

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However, Tapan later realized that the accused had cheated him and he requested them to return his money but to no avail. Tapan's health deteriorated due to the fraud and he suffered a brain stroke. He is now bedridden and paralyzed, said the EOW.

"The agency had earlier this year registered a separate case against Chandan for impersonating as an OTDC official and cheating a special class contractor to the tune of Rs 3 crore by issuing fake work orders in his favour. He is still in judicial custody in connection with the previous case," EOW DIG Jai Narayan Pankaj told The New Indian Express.

The probe is continuing and efforts are on to nab the other culprits, he added. EOW had earlier seized various incriminating documents/articles including fake seals of Chandan certifying him as a senior official of ITDC.

A self-styled godman, Chandan had impersonated as OTDC's Chairman and as ITDC's secretary to con the businessmen.

EOW has contacted ITDC and its officials will verify the money transferred by the accused to the Corporation's account.

Hotel Nilachal Ashok located close to the Raj Bhawan in Puri is lying defunct for several years and the ITDC has an 89 per cent stake in the hotel while the remaining 11 per cent is with OTDC. The ITDC has planned the divestment of Nilachal Ashok.