Chandrasekharpur police in Bhubaneswar arrested a couple on Tuesday in connection with an alleged land fraud involving Rs 1.47 crore, with investigators saying the accused collected money from a prospective buyer but did not execute or register the promised sale deed.
The accused were identified as Srimanta Kalas, 63, and his wife Soumya Subhadarshini Kalas, 43. Police registered a cheating case at Chandrasekharpur police station on January 19 following a complaint by Sudhir Kumar Panigrahi, 41, a resident of Kaibalya Vihar in Bhubaneswar.
According to police, Srimanta allegedly presented himself as a land broker and claimed to have close links with the owner of a plot in Saheed Nagar, one of the prominent areas of the state capital. He allegedly persuaded Panigrahi to purchase the property and received about Rs 1.47 crore from him between January 2021 and August 2022.
A police officer said the payment included around Rs 1 crore transferred through bank transactions and Rs 47.6 lakh paid in cash. Despite repeated assurances, the sale deed was allegedly not executed or registered. Subsequent verification reportedly found that Srimanta had no legitimate connection with the actual landowner.
Police also alleged that forged or fabricated documents were used to facilitate the transaction. The case highlights the risks that arise when property buyers rely on intermediaries or documents without establishing the ownership and authority of the person offering the land for sale. The supplied police account, however, does not establish the final legal status of the disputed property or the authenticity of every document under examination.
During the investigation, officers examined the complainant and other witnesses, recorded their statements and collected documentary and banking evidence. Police said the money allegedly obtained from the complainant was diverted to two industrial ventures in which Soumya Subhadarshini served as a director.
Police conducted raids in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday afternoon and arrested the couple. Officers also seized documents, including a memorandum of understanding and banking transaction records linked to the case.
The arrests follow an investigation into the alleged movement of the money and the documents used in the transaction. Police said the probe remains underway to trace the complete money trail, assess the extent of the alleged fraud and determine whether other people were involved. The allegations will be tested through the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.
