Bamra: The Govindpur police in Sambalpur district have arrested a youth on the charges he impersonated as a special task force (STF) officer under the Union home department and cheated people, mostly women. He was produced in a court Thursday.
The accused was Ratneswar Majhi (28) of Sendritangar village under Badgaon police limits in Sundargarh district.
Majhi, in police uniform, had been cheating people for the last one month. Promising marriage, he tried to court several women in the areas under Badgaon, Rajgangpur, Govindpur, Kuchinda, Mahulapali and Kutra police limits and allegedly maintained physical relations with them.
As part of his modus operandi, he used to visit Govindpur police station and the Godposh outpost in uniform.
Later, the locals felt something suspicious about Majhi’s claim. A close relative of a woman whom Majhi promised to marry and then dumped her, exposed his designs before the villagers.
A team of cops from the Godposh outpost went to Jurabahal village and detained Majhi. Govindpur police station IIC Biswapati Panda and others questioned him.
A case has been registered, accusing Majhi of cheating a woman of Sadhapada village under Rangiatikra panchayat by breaking a promise to marry her.
Five ATM cards, three mobile phones, a fake identity card, and Rs 800 in cash were seized from him. It is alleged that Majhi, a Karate learner and mechanical engineer, had also been on the prowl in the state capital.