Odisha Cop Held for Running Loan Racket Targeting Colleagues
Tripathy alleged that Behera had been extorting money from him for years under the pretext of arranging loan sanctions;
By : Akshaya Kumar Sahoo
Update: 2025-06-18 08:48 GMT
Bhubaneswar: In a sensational case of betrayal from within, a constable of the Odisha Police has been arrested in Boudh district for allegedly orchestrating a long-running financial racket targeting his own colleagues.
The accused, Hrudananda Behera (43), posted at the Model Police Station in Boudh, was taken into custody on June 16, 2025, after a Home Guard, Pradeep Kumar Tripathy, mustered the courage to lodge a complaint against him. Tripathy alleged that Behera had been extorting money from him for years under the pretext of arranging loan sanctions — a scheme that quickly spiralled into outright fraud and intimidation.
What began as monthly payments of ₹10,000 soon turned into a nightmare for Tripathy, with Behera allegedly taking control of his ATM card, bank passbook, cheque book, and even siphoning off his arrear payments and sanctioned loan funds. Any attempt to resist or expose the scam was reportedly met with threats.
When police finally raided Behera’s residence and personal belongings, the findings shocked even the investigators. The haul included 60 bank passbooks, 43 ATM cards, 29 cheque books, a staggering 209 signed blank cheques, 11 registration sale deeds, cash worth ₹5.02 lakh, and 145 grams of gold and silver ornaments. Most of these items reportedly belonged to other unsuspecting police personnel — revealing what appears to be a well-oiled internal extortion network.
“This kind of misconduct within the ranks is absolutely unacceptable. Strict action will be taken against anyone found exploiting fellow staff under the guise of financial help,” said Boudh Superintendent of Police (SP) Rahul Goel, confirming the arrest.
Behera has been charged under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 308(5) (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 316(4) and 316(5) (cheating and criminal breach of trust by a public servant), 314 (criminal intimidation), 321 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 238 (extortion by putting a person in fear of injury).
The accused, Hrudananda Behera (43), posted at the Model Police Station in Boudh, was taken into custody on June 16, 2025, after a Home Guard, Pradeep Kumar Tripathy, mustered the courage to lodge a complaint against him. Tripathy alleged that Behera had been extorting money from him for years under the pretext of arranging loan sanctions — a scheme that quickly spiralled into outright fraud and intimidation.
What began as monthly payments of ₹10,000 soon turned into a nightmare for Tripathy, with Behera allegedly taking control of his ATM card, bank passbook, cheque book, and even siphoning off his arrear payments and sanctioned loan funds. Any attempt to resist or expose the scam was reportedly met with threats.
When police finally raided Behera’s residence and personal belongings, the findings shocked even the investigators. The haul included 60 bank passbooks, 43 ATM cards, 29 cheque books, a staggering 209 signed blank cheques, 11 registration sale deeds, cash worth ₹5.02 lakh, and 145 grams of gold and silver ornaments. Most of these items reportedly belonged to other unsuspecting police personnel — revealing what appears to be a well-oiled internal extortion network.
“This kind of misconduct within the ranks is absolutely unacceptable. Strict action will be taken against anyone found exploiting fellow staff under the guise of financial help,” said Boudh Superintendent of Police (SP) Rahul Goel, confirming the arrest.
Behera has been charged under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 308(5) (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 316(4) and 316(5) (cheating and criminal breach of trust by a public servant), 314 (criminal intimidation), 321 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 238 (extortion by putting a person in fear of injury).