The economic offence wing of the Odisha crime branch on Thursday arrested one of the directors of a ponzi firm for allegedly duping investors to the tune of Rs 3 crore.

The EOW in a press release said the ponzi firm director Sudarsan Senapati, absconding since 2013, was arrested on Thursday under different sections of the Odisha Protection of Interests of Depositors (in financial establishment) Act, 2011.

“The above referred case has been registered on the basis of a written complaint filed by one Debendra Kumar Nayak on the allegation that M/s Akash India Multi Complex Ltd. represented through its MD Kedar Nath Sahoo and other directors had duped a large number of investors to the tune of crores in the pretext of returning high rate of interest on their deposits under various schemes launched by the company,” the release said.

It said investigation has revealed that M/s Akash India Multi Complex Ltd, incorporated with Registrar of Companies, Cuttack had a registered office at Dumuduma, Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar and had branch offices at Niali, Charichhak, Puri, Astaranga, Panikoili, Bramhagiri and Jagatsinghpur in Odisha.

During the investigation, it has come to light that “the accused Sudarshan Senapati along with other accused persons during 2011-2016, had collected approximately Rs 3 crore from the general public under different schemes.

On the other hand, Odisha vigilance sleuths on Thursday conducted raids on the house of an assistant engineer Santosh Kumar Das posted at the Integrated Tribal Development, Baripada in Mayurbhanj district for amassing huge properties disproportionate to his known source of income.

In a press release, the vigilance said during the raid on Das’s house they have seized Rs 13.6 lakh in cash. They have also found two four-storey buildings one each in Bhubaneswar and Balasore, two flats in Bhubaneswar and three plots in Balasore. The vigilance has detained Das at his residence in Baripada and he is likely to be arrested. The raid is still on.