Police on Tuesday arrested a man for impersonating as a Maoist and attempting to extort money from Daspalla BJD MlA Purna Chandra Nayak.
According to the police, the man, identified as Sushant Nayak, a resident of Nuagaon block of Nayagarh district, had been making repeated calls to MlA Nayak asking him to pay Rs25 lakh.
Twenty-year old and Class-VII educated Sushant confessed to the crime upon being grilled by the police following his arrest.
“He identified himself as a member of the Red brigade and demanded Rs25 lakh from the MlA. We have seized the SIM card and mobile phone used to make the calls. The accused has confessed to the crime. An FIR has been lodged at the Daspalla police station under Sections 385, 387, 506, 419 and 467 of IPC and Section 66 of IT Act. Nayagarh SDPO is investigating the incident,” said Nayagarh SP Manoranjan Mohanty.
The police, however, ruled out his direct connections with the Maoists.
Speaking to reporters, Sushant said he made the calls to address his family issues.
“I have a sick mother at home. All our land has been mortgaged. I needed some money and that is why made the calls to the MlA. I neither have any connection with the Maoists nor do I know much about them,” said Sushant.
Notably, he earlier managed to extort Rs25,000 from the Kalasakhamana Samiti Sabhya by sending him a letter identifying himself as a member of the Red brigade.