Man dupes Bhubaneswar job aspirant of Rs 18 Lakh by posing as NALCO, Reliance employee

In a case of fraud, a man named Naresh Barik alias Butu was arrested on Tuesday, allegedly for cheating a youth of Rs 18 lakh on the pretext of providing him a government job. The accused was taken into custody from his residence in Pragati Vihar under the Chandrasekharpur police limits in Bhubaneswar.

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According to sources, the accused Barik introduced himself variously as an AGM at NALCO and a Vice-President at Reliance Group of industries to win the trust of job aspirants. In 2021, he took Rs 18 lakh from one Sarbeswar Samal, promising him a position at NALCO.

To make the job offer seem genuine, the accused man provided fake documents such as an appointment letter, a joining letter, and even a gate pass. Once the victim realised he had been conned, he approached Badagada Police Station in Bhubaneswar and lodged a formal complaint.

Acting on the complaint, police arrested Barik and produced him in court. Authorities are now actively searching for another accused in the fraud case — Dillip Kumar Bhatt, who is believed to be a key accomplice in the illegal network.

So far, NALCO and Reliance have not issued any official response in this regard.

“Naresh Barik had introduced himself as a vendor of NALCO. He had an association with Dillip Kumar Bhatt, who pretended to be an AGM in NALCO. Both of them are involved in the crime. They have taken Rs 18 lakh from me, of which Rs 8 lakh was paid by me through fund transfer and Rs 10 lakh through two cheques of Rs 5 lakh each,” the victim youth expressed.

“They have given me all forged documents of NALCO, such as an appointment letter, ID card, medical certificate, etc. Even the fraudsters have created a fake website of NALCO, in which my appointment was reflected. They had promised me to give appointment as a junior manager with a salary ranging between Rs 60,000-65,000 per month,” the victim youth stated.