Former civic official duped victims under pretext of land sale in Berhampur, Odisha
Berhampur Police on Sunday arrested a former executive engineer of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC), Pattam Shyamababu Patro, for allegedly defrauding two individuals—an Indian woman and an Australia-based NRI—of a combined ₹35 lakh by falsely promising to sell land, reported timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
Land fraud case involves former municipal officer; victims lured with fake property
Patro, 58, a resident of Nayagarh currently living in Bhubaneswar, held the position of executive engineer at BeMC between May 31, 2017, and December 31, 2019, before opting for voluntary retirement.
He has now been booked in two separate cases—one at Berhampur Town Police Station and another at Gosaninuagaon Police Station—following formal complaints by both victims.
According to Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M., Patro entered into a land sale agreement with a woman from Gandhi Nagar on March 30, 2016, for a 0.590 decimal plot near Lochapada, valued at ₹71 lakh. She paid ₹25 lakh as advance but never received the land. After continuous follow-ups and threats of legal action, the accused returned ₹15 lakh in 2021, but failed to repay the remaining ₹10 lakh and allegedly threatened the woman again.
In a separate instance, the accused allegedly duped an NRI from Australia of ₹25 lakh on a similar promise to sell land. Police have seized key documents, including the land sale agreement and a ₹10 lakh cheque, as part of the investigation.
Prima facie evidence confirms land fraud; accused held from Bhubaneswar.
Following verification of documents and initial findings, police arrested Patro from Bhubaneswar. Authorities confirmed ongoing investigation and cautioned the public to stay alert against fraudulent property deals.