Bhubaneswar, Jul 29 (PTI) A man was arrested for allegedly duping Odisha Minister Krushna Chandra Patra of Rs 25 lakh with a promise to provide him a land plot in Dhenkanal district, police said on Tuesday.

The arrest was made on the basis of a written complaint filed by the state food supply and consumer welfare minister at Dhenkanal Town Police Station on July 26, an officer said.

Also Read | Vice President Election 2025: EC Publishes Booklet for Public Awareness on Vice Presidential Poll.

“We have arrested Niranjan Satpathy of Banasingh in Dhenkanal district for duping the minister of Rs 25 lakh and forwarded him to a local court,” Dhenkanal Town Police Station inspector-in-charge Pravat Sahu said.

According to the police, Patra had given Rs 25 lakh as an advance to the accused in 2021 for purchasing a plot of land in the Banasingh area.

Also Read | Independence Day 2025 Date and Day: Is 15th August a Bank Holiday? Will Schools and Stock Market Remain Open or Closed on Friday, August 15? FAQs on 79th Independence Day Answered.

However, the accused did not provide the land plot to the minister, the officer said, citing the complaint.

Satpathy, later, issued two cheques to Patra, but those were bounced, he said.

"The accused has also given a written statement to the minister with a promise to return his money. However, he did not honour the promise," the IIC said.

Speaking to media persons on Monday, Patra had said he paid the money as an advance to buy a plot four years ago, when he was serving as a director in a company.

As the "man neither provided a land parcel nor returned the money", Patra said he had lodged a complaint with the local police.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)