2 Odisha govt employees arrested on charges of defrauding rape survivor in Cuttack

In a shocking incident, as many as two employees of Cuttack Collector's office have been arrested on the charges of defrauding a rape survivor.

As per reports, the duo, a male and a female, allegedly exploited official data to deceive the victim of Rs 1 lakh under the guise of facilitating financial aid. 

The victim, upon realising the fraudulent activity, filed a formal complaint at the Lalbag police station, leading to the arrests.

The distribution of financial aid to survivors of such crimes is managed by the district's Legal Services Authority. The accused, utilising their roles within the district administration, manipulated the compensation data intended for the victim. They assured the victim about the financial aid and allegedly defrauded her.

The victim reportedly deposited Rs 1.1 lakh in two accounts of the accused in three phases. However, she soon realised about the duping and subsequently lodged a complaint about the matter at the police station.

Following the development, Lalbag police launched an investigation into the incident and arrested the accused.

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This case has exposed vulnerabilities within the system, which police are investigating. This incident underscores the importance of safeguarding systems designed to support the survivors of such heinous acts.

"The main accused is working as the data entry operator in the Collector's office, and he takes care of the victim compensation scheme. Following the complaint by the victim about the fraudulent activity, it was a challenge to identify the accused and his associate and arrest them. Further investigation into the incident is currently underway," said Cuttack ADCP Amarendra Panda.