A major fraud involving crores of rupees has been uncovered in Mathli village, implicating local leaders and a fake officer in a job scam that targeted innocent tribal youth. The scheme exploited the aspirations of job seekers and members of Mission Shakti, shocking the community.
The main accused, Ramesh Chandra Raut from Kendrapara, posed as the brother of senior IAS officer Karthikeyan Pandian. With the alleged help of Sasmita Majhi, a district council member from the ruling BJJ party, and Jeevan Sahu, a local leader and former MP representative, Raut reportedly promised government jobs to tribal children in exchange for large sums of money.
The scam also targeted women involved in Mission Shakti, an empowerment initiative. Raut and his associates allegedly collected lakhs of rupees from women, falsely claiming they could secure tenders for the supply of e-scooters.
In one case, Nand Kishore Puhan from Mathli Block transferred Rs. 7.3 lakh to the accounts of Sasmita Majhi and Ramesh Chandra Raut to secure a supply truck job for his son. Another victim, businessman Karthik Roy, paid Rs. 26.2 lakh, believing it would help him win a tender for supplying e-scooters.
Ramesh Chandra Raut has been arrested by Mathli Police in Bhubaneswar, while Sasmita Majhi and Jeevan Sahu are still at large. Authorities are investigating the full scope of the scam, and more victims may come forward. The community is demanding strict action against those involved to restore trust and ensure justice for the affected families.