Cuttack: A notorious conman, Bishnu Prasad Pattanaik alias Biranchi Narayan Pattnaik, who allegedly orchestrated elaborate schemes to defraud unsuspecting victims with false promises of lucrative overseas jobs, has been arrested in Bhubaneswar. Shri Pattanaik, a long-term fugitive, was apprehended on May 21, 2025, following extensive surveillance and technical intelligence by a CID-Crime Branch team.
Shri Pattanaik, son of Haramohan Pattanaik of Girigiria, Khurda, is accused of luring victims with the promise of high-paying jobs abroad, demanding hefty consultancy charges and bribes. His modus operandi involved creating a web of deception, including forging offer and appointment letters from reputed international companies.
One of his victims, a qualified aeronautical engineer from Coimbatore, was allegedly cheated of a staggering Rs. 90 lakhs. Shri Pattanaik reportedly promised him a job with British Airways and then Lufthansa Airways, even providing fake documentation. This case was initially registered at Gunupur PS (Case No. 143/2018) before being taken over by CID-Crime Branch (Case No. 25/2018).
In another similar case, the son of a second victim, a qualified Electronic and Instrumentation Engineer, was defrauded of Rs. 15 lakhs under the guise of securing a high-paying job abroad. This led to CID-Crime Branch PS Case No. 03/2019, stemming from Gunupur PS Case No. 126/2018.
Investigators revealed that Shri Pattanaik would frequently impersonate various professionals, including medical doctors, professors, and engineers, to gain the trust of his victims. While his credentials were found to be dubious and are under ongoing investigation, he successfully used forged documents, including address proofs and driving licenses, to conceal his true identity and whereabouts. Notably, he created fake offer letters under the names of international consultancy companies like HR Maxons and Lufthansa Technik.
During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Shri Pattanaik had fled to Cambodia in 2012, where he allegedly created a second passport to further evade authorities. A Look Out Circular was issued against him on January 17, 2019, and was renewed in 2020. Despite claims of starting an IT company in Cambodia, his activities abroad remain under scrutiny.
Police stated that Shri Pattanaik’s criminal network extends beyond Rayagada district, with cases of cheating also reported in Visakhapatnam, Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, and other parts of the country. His movements were closely monitored, and upon his return to India in May 2025, the CID-Crime Branch team tracked him down and arrested him.
The arrest was carried out by a police team led by Inspector Rajkishore Behera, utilizing both human and technical intelligence to pinpoint Shri Pattanaik’s location. He has been booked under Sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 465 (punishment for forgery), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, and was produced before the SDJM, Gunupur, Rayagada district.
The investigation into Shri Pattanaik’s full scope of operations, including his possible accomplices and identification of other potential victims across Odisha, is ongoing. Given his history as a habitual fraudster, authorities are appealing to the public to come forward with any information related to his fraudulent activities.