Fraudsters posing as Vigilance officials arrested for extorting Rs 4 lakh from OAS officer in Odisha

In a significant crackdown, Odisha Vigilance, in coordination with Rourkela Police, arrested two fraudsters for allegedly extorting Rs 4 lakh from a senior OAS officer by impersonating Vigilance officials.

The accused have been identified as Ganesh Prasad Nanda of Mendhamal village, PS-Birmaharajpur in Subarnapur district, and his relative Pradeep Kumar Panda.

According to police, the duo allegedly threatened the officer with false Vigilance cases unless he paid the money in two instalments. They were reportedly working in tandem, with Nanda using multiple mobile numbers and presenting himself as a Vigilance officer on Truecaller. 

The accused allegedly targeted government officials, claiming bribery or misuse of funds, and extorted money by promising to refrain from raids and DA searches.

Odisha Vigilance said it received credible inputs regarding such extortion attempts and kept the suspects under close surveillance. On 11 December 2025, a joint team of Odisha Vigilance and Rourkela Police apprehended both men in Mendhamal, Birmaharajpur.

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A case has been registered at Bonai Police Station under sections 308(2)/318(4)/319(2) BNS read with 66(c)(d) of the IT Act, 2005. The accused have been charged with multiple offences, including cheating by impersonation and extortion through threats, and are being forwarded to court. Further investigation into the case is underway.