Latest news with #CrimeBranchofOdishaPolice
New Indian Express
11 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Ahead of Rath Yatra, Crime Branch takes down 11 fake websites for booking hotels
BHUBANESWAR: Ahead of Rath Yatra, the Crime Branch of Odisha Police took down 11 fake hotel booking websites to ensure pilgrims and tourists have a hassle free experience during the festival. The agency received 317 complaints through cyber crime helpline number in the last few days about the fake hotel booking websites and went after them. Many fake websites mimicked the portals of famous hotels and those run by Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC). Some of the fake websites removed include , and among others. Sources said the social media team of CB has been continuously monitoring online platforms to detect fake hotel booking websites. 'We are keeping a close eye on such fake websites. Once such websites comes to our notice, immediate action is taken to bring them down. To ensure safety of citizens and to keep them informed, awareness posts on fake hotel booking scams are being shared across our cyber safety social media platforms,' said the CB in a statement on Wednesday. Lately, hotel booking scams have witnessed a rise in the state, especially in Puri, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Fraudsters have been creating fake websites and social media pages that look genuine, offer cheap rates. They also demand full payment via UPI, wallets or bank transfers using fake customer care numbers and receipts. The probe agency said many such fake sites appear on top of Google search results, making difficult to ascertain their genuineness. Victims often realise about the scam only after reaching the hotels. Several complaints regarding fraudulent hotel deals have been received through helpline 1930 and from various government departments as well as the hotel owners. Meanwhile, it has issued an advisory to visitors to book hotels only through verified platforms like Make My Trip, Goibibo, or official tourism websites.
Hans India
6 days ago
- Hans India
Man arrested for posting morphed video of CM
Bhubaneswar: The Crime Branch of Odisha Police has arrested a person from Rayagada district for posting an AI-generated and doctored obscene video of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on social media, informed the Odisha Police in an official statement on Wednesday. The police further noted that an alert citizen, after coming across the morphed and objectionable video of CM Majhi on social media, complained to the police seeking action against the culprits behind the mischief. 'A complaint was lodged by a citizen after allegedly coming across a morphed and objectionable video circulating on Facebook, targeting the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Odisha. The video shared from a Facebook page allegedly depicted the Chief Minister in an obscene manner. The complainant claimed the video was doctored and made viral with the deliberate intention to defame the Hon'ble Chief Minister, tarnish his image among the general public. It also hampered the dignity of a woman,' said Odisha Police. The Cyber Crime Unit of the Crime Branch immediately swung into action and started a preliminary inquiry into the matter. The police later registered an FIR based on the inquiry report and initiated an investigation into the case. The Crime Branch also wrote to Meta (formerly Facebook) requesting it to remove the objectionable content against CM Majhi from its platform (Facebook). 'M/s Meta Platform (Facebook) was requested for the removal of the objectionable content, which they duly complied with. Further investigation led to the identification of the Facebook account user as a native of Rayagada district,' noted the Crime Branch. The accused, identified as Kishore Kausalya, was subsequently arrested by the Crime Branch team on Wednesday. Kausalya hails from Keutaguda Station Sahi under Chandili police limits of Rayagada district. He works in a construction company in Tikri area of the district. 'He is liable for committing multiple criminal offences for publishing and transmitting an AI-generated, morphed obscene video,' informed the Crime Branch. The accused was arrested under sections 78, 79, 294, 296, 336(2), 336(4), 340(2), 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the sections 66-C, 67, 67-A of IT Act 2000 and the section 3 of Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act 1986. He was produced before the SDJM court in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. The Crime Branch has warned of stern legal action against anyone found indulging in such illegal acts. It also urged the netizens to remain careful about the content they post or share on social media.
New Indian Express
19-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Rayagada youth uses AI to create obscene video of CM Mohan Charan Majhi, held
BHUBANESWAR: The Crime Branch of Odisha Police on Wednesday arrested a man for allegedly using artificial intelligence (AI) to create an obscene video involving Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and a lady philanthropist, and posting it on his Facebook account. The accused Kishore Kausalya was arrested from his native place Ketaguda Station Sahi within Chandili police limits of Rayagada district. Police said Kausalya has done a course in electrical engineering and was working with a construction company at Tikiri in Rayagada. Investigation revealed Kausalya had used photographs of the chief minister and a lady philanthropist to create an obscene video using AI. He had then uploaded the video on his Facebook account, having around 24,000 followers, in a bid to gain fame and earn easy money. After coming across the post, a social media user lodged a complaint against Kausalya in this connection alleging he was trying to tarnish the image of the CM among the general public. The complainant also alleged that the accused had seriously hurt the dignity of the woman whose photograph was used in the obscene video. Basing on the complaint, CB registered a case on Tuesday under various sections of BNS, Information Technology Act and Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act. The CB officials also approached Meta, which owns and operates Facebook, and requested it to remove the objectionable video, following which the post was taken down. During investigation, the agency's officers ascertained that the said Facebook account belonged to Kausalya, and a team left for Rayagada to arrest him. 'Apart from Facebook, the accused is active on other social media platforms like Instagram. He had posted the obscene and doctored video of the CM online in a bid to increase his followers,' CB sources said. Police found that Kausalya had posted over 50 morphed photographs of different people, some of whom are well-known, in the past. Meanwhile, CB warned that stern legal action will be taken against individuals indulging in such illegal acts. It also requested the citizens to be careful about the content they post or share on social media.
New Indian Express
24-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Man wanted for job fraud of Rs one crore held on return from Cambodia
CUTTACK: The Crime Branch of Odisha Police has arrested a person for duping two engineers of Rs 1 crore and Rs 5 lakh on the promise of providing jobs, from Bhubaneswar. Crime Branch DG Vinaytosh Mishra said in 2018, the accused Bishnu Prasad Patnaik alias Biranchi Patnaik of Begunia in Khurda district had fled to Cambodia in 2022 and had been staying there since. 'He came to India this month and following a tip-off, was arrested,' the DG said. Mishra said Patnaik had taken Rs 90 lakh from an aeronautical engineer on the promise of providing a job in British Airways and then Lufthansa Airways. He even created fake offer letters and appointment letters. In the second case, the accused had duped an electronics engineer to the tune of Rs 15 lakh for providing a lucrative job abroad. Initially, the two cases were registered at Gunupur police station and later the Crime Branch took over the investigation. During investigation, it is found that Patnaik introduced himself as a medical doctor, professor, engineer, and other false professions to the victims. The accused had created forged letters of offer and appointment under the names of international consultancy companies like HR Maxons and Lufthansa Technik, a reputed German aviation company. He also forged documents like address proof and driving licence to conceal his identity and whereabouts. While the investigation was in progress, the accused fled to Cambodia and purportedly created a fake passport to conceal his identity. A Look Out Circular was issued against him in 2019. To evade arrest, he had been staying in Cambodia since 2022 and claimed to have started an IT company there. Further investigation is on to identify more victims and possible accomplices of Patnaik, Mishra said.
New Indian Express
23-05-2025
- New Indian Express
West Bengal man arrested for duping Odisha resident of Rs 73.62 lakh in digital arrest scam
Cuttack: The Crime Branch of Odisha Police has arrested a West Bengal native for his alleged involvement in duping a man of Rs 73.62 lakh by keeping him under digital arrest. The accused has been identified as Rohit Jaiswal of Howrah in West Bengal. Crime Branch officials said they had received a complaint from the victim, a resident of Paradip, last year that some cyber fraudsters, posing as CBI and Delhi Police officials, contacted him over WhatsApp, claiming that a parcel in his name had been confiscated by the Customs department in Delhi. They had further said that the parcel was to be dispatched to Sanghai in China, the complainant had stated. To prove that he was innocent, they had allegedly asked him to transfer Rs 73.62 lakh. On realising that it was a digital arrest scam, the victim had lodged a complaint. Police registered a case and began investigation. After analysing the transaction details and digital evidences, police tracked Jaiswal in West Bengal and arrested him.
