Absconding fraudster held in Odisha in Rs 67.59 lakh embezzlement case

Jamshedpur: The Parsudih police have arrested an absconding accused from Odisha in connection with a fraud and embezzlement case involving Rs 67.59 lakh.

The accused, who had been on the run for nearly two years, was later produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody.

According to Parsudih police station in-charge Avinash Kumar, the complaint was registered on March 10, 2024. The arrested individual has been identified as Lajaron Barik alias Shyamsundar Barik, a resident of Putuka village under Bijepur police station in Bargarh district, Odisha. Between 2022 and 2024, the accused allegedly embezzled ₹67.59 lakh. He had been absconding since the registration of the complaint.

Police said the fraud came to light after Rajesh Agrawal, owner of Mahesh Edible Oil (Saloni Mustard Oil), detected serious discrepancies during an internal audit. Investigations revealed that the accused, who had been entrusted with collecting payments from customers since 2010, allegedly failed to deposit the funds with the company and instead misappropriated the money while misleading the management.

Acting on technical surveillance and specific intelligence inputs, the Parsudih police launched a raid in Odisha and successfully apprehended the accused. Further investigation into the case is underway.