In Rourkela, five men from Bihar were arrested by Sadar police in Sundargarh district on Saturday for allegedly cheating villagers by posing as religious figures and extorting gold and cash by instilling fear of supernatural harm.
The accused, Gugu Panda (46), Dular Panda (31), Bishal Panda (28), Dhanu Panda (20) and Daktar Panda (20), are residents of Nabinagar in Bihar's Aurangabad district.
The case was registered following a complaint by Gobardhan Oram of Lankahuda village. According to the police, on April 23 around 1:30 pm, three men dressed as pandits came to his house. Claiming that the family was under severe misfortune, they performed pseudo-religious rituals and demanded gold and money to avert the danger.
When Oram expressed his inability to pay, the men allegedly threatened that harm would befall the couple's children. Two more associates later joined them, and the five allegedly cheated the couple of a pair of gold earrings and Rs 1,000 in cash.
Police said the accused were nabbed based on credible information. During interrogation, they reportedly admitted to operating as a gang and targeting villagers by impersonating religious persons.
Gold, silver and bronze items, gemstones, Rs 36,170 in cash, and six mobile phones were seized from them, said N Mohapatra, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Sadar, Sundargarh.
