Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha Police on Saturday arrested a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader on charges of duping a person of Rs 12.42 crore on the pretext of investing in the real estate business and purchasing land in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

The accused was identified as Dillip Kumar Nayak of Jhanjiri Mangala under the jurisdiction of Badambadi police station in Cuttack.

Dilip had contested the last Assembly elections in 2024 from the Nimapara constituency as a BJD candidate against Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida.

As per the case details, the complainant, Bijay Kumar Rout, a resident of the Ranihat Malisahi area in Cuttack, had initially lodged a complaint at the Badambadi Police Station.

The case was later taken over by the EOW, which registered a formal case in this regard on September 19.

Bijay alleged that the accused, Dillip, cheated him by inducing him to enter into a joint real estate business and to invest in land purchases through him.

The EOW, during investigation, found that between the years 2015 and 2017, the accused Dillip Nayak had taken Rs 3 Crore from the complainant Bijay Nayak on different dates on the pretext of investment in the real estate business.