In a major development, police in Odisha have arrested one person involved in a coal mining fraud case linked to Assam. The arrest was made in Bhubaneswar with help from Assam Police and local authorities.
The accused, Nirup Sundar Choudhury, lives in the Niladri Vihar area of Bhubaneswar. However, the main culprits, Samir Patnaik and his associate Sunil Sahoo, managed to escape during police operations. They are accused of cheating a man named Dushmant out of around Rs 3 crore a few months ago.
According to police reports, Samir, Nirup, and Sunil had been hiding in Bhubaneswar since March after fleeing from Assam. They allegedly conspired to falsely accuse Dushmant and later stole the coal from his mine, misappropriating the money. The case was registered at Bihubor Police Station in Assam, and authorities issued notices to the accused to appear for investigation. But despite multiple reminders, they did not cooperate.
On Wednesday, Assam Police along with Bhubaneswar Police traveled to the city to find the suspects. Nirup was arrested on Thursday morning, but Samir managed to escape during a police raid at his residence in Subhadra Apartment near Infocity. The police also could not apprehend Sunil.
Dushmant spoke to the media about the case, explaining that he was involved in coal mining in Assam with the accused. He said that in February 2025, the suspects falsely implicated him and had him arrested at Sahid Nagar police station in Bhubaneswar. During his time in jail, they sold all the coal from his mine, stealing more than Rs 3 crore.
After being released, Dushmant traveled to Assam and learned about the fraud. He then filed a criminal case against Samir, Sunil, and Nirup at Bihubor Police Station in August. The police continue their efforts to catch the remaining suspects.
Stay tuned for updates on this high-profile fraud case.
