Bhubaneswar: Niranjan Rana, 53, splurged on filmmaking and women in Mumbai with the ill-gotten millions he made from duping hundreds of unsuspecting people in Odisha who gave him their life-long savings to buy a dream home, or own a piece of land, in the twin city.
On Thursday, the Balianta police ended the bogus property broker-cum-realtor’s year-long run from law by arresting him in a swift operation. DCP Pinak Mishra said Rana had swindled crores of rupees from home buyers by promising them apartments and landed properties at subsidised rates. Mishra said Rana, a native of Balipatna, ran a bogus realty firm- Maa Tarini Estcon – in Bhubaneswar where he projected himself as the managing director in order to give shape to his devious plans. “Rana channelised the money he raised from his ‘customers’ in producing a few high-budget Odia films. He did so to cover up the black money,” Mishra said adding that a hunt is on for few of his associates who are still at large. Mishra said the Balianta police had booked Rana more than 21 times in the past in similar fraud cases. Besides, seven non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against him are yet to be executed.
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The DCP said Rana fled to Mumbai last year soon after obtaining bail from a court on medical grounds. “He went incommunicado thereafter and didn’t comply with the court’s direction to produce himself before the Balianta police for investigation,” Mishra said. Recently, Mishra said, the Balianta police received a tipoff from an informer stating that Rana had plans to visit his home during Dusshera. Accordingly, the cops laid a trap in the vicinity and took him into custody Thursday when he showed up. He was booked under Sections 318 (4) and 3 (5) of the BNS, and produced in a court for remand.