BJD Leader Arrested for Rs 12 Crore Land Fraud in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Crime Branch has arrested BJD leader Dillip Kumar Nayak for allegedly cheating a businessman of Rs 12.42 crore on the promise of providing him plots and jointly setting up a real estate firm.

Nayak had unsuccessfully contested the Nimapara Assembly constituency as a BJD candidate in the 2024 elections. The agency registered a case against Nayak based on a police complaint by the businessman Bijay Rout. Rout had filed the complaint at Badambadi police station in Cuttack, and the case was handed over to the EOW for investigation.

According to the complaint, Nayak had allegedly persuaded Rout to start a real estate business in partnership with him. He had also promised the complainant to provide him plots in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. EOW’s investigation revealed that Nayak had taken Rs 3 crore from Rout between 2015 and 2017 to invest in his business. In 2018, he took Rs 4 crore from the complainant to provide him a land at Bajrakabati Road in Cuttack. While Nayak could not provide the land, he again persuaded Rout to give him another Rs 3.42 crore on the promise of providing a plot in Patia area in the capital city.

Nayak then assured the complainant that he would either return Rs 7.42 crore or provide him the plot. He later issued three cheques amounting to Rs 10.5 crore in favor of Rout. However, all the cheques were rejected by the banks due to insufficient balance and deliberate mismatched signatures, EOW sources said.

Besides, he had also taken Rs 3 crore from Rout and his wife to jointly set up a real estate firm. Out of the total cheated amount of Rs 13.42 crore, he refunded only Rs 1 crore. In 2021, Nayak took another Rs 3.5 crore to provide a land spread over 5 acres in Trisulia area. However, he purchased the land in his and Rout’s name and became its joint owner. He later sold 2.5 acres of the same land without the knowledge of Rout.

After apprehending Nayak, EOW conducted searches at his house and recovered various documents like sale deeds, power of attorney, and details of his bank accounts. “Nayak was into real estate business. We suspect he has duped a few other investors too, and further investigation is continuing,” said an EOW official.

Senior BJD leader Samir Ranjan Dash had represented the Nimapara Assembly seat for three consecutive terms. However, the party fielded Nayak against BJP’s Pravati Parida in the last election. Parida, who is currently the deputy chief minister of Odisha, won by a margin of 4,588 votes.