Odisha Doctor's Web of Deceit Unraveled: Arrested for Rs 25 Lakh Fraud and Blackmail

It’s always disheartening to hear stories where trust, especially in the pursuit of companionship, is so utterly betrayed. Recently, the Cyber Crime Police Station in Cuttack, Odisha, made an arrest that really underscores this point. They’ve apprehended Dr. Abhinash Routray, a radiologist from Jagatsinghpur, on some pretty serious charges: cheating a woman out of a whopping Rs 25 lakh and then, adding insult to injury, blackmailing her.

The tale, as it unfolds, began innocently enough, or so it seemed at the time. The victim, a woman residing in CDA Sector 9, Cuttack, reportedly met Dr. Routray back in 2021 through the popular matrimonial platform, Shaadi.com. He apparently spun quite a yarn, presenting himself as a diligent radiologist with the loftier ambition of becoming an IAS officer. He quickly proposed marriage, painting a picture of a shared future and, naturally, gaining her trust in the process. It's truly a classic, albeit heartbreaking, setup, isn't it?

Once he had her confidence, the requests for money started. Over time, he allegedly concocted a string of increasingly elaborate excuses to borrow significant sums. There were claims of needing funds for a new car, for property purchases, even for his IAS exam fees. He even invoked a supposed medical emergency involving his mother and, in a particularly audacious move, sought money under the pretense of securing a job for the woman in Germany. Each time, he’d present what appeared to be legitimate documents—forged bank statements and property papers, as investigators later discovered—to reinforce his pleas. You can just imagine the mounting pressure and the emotional manipulation at play.

But the situation took a truly dark turn. Beyond the financial deceit, Dr. Routray reportedly took compromising photos and videos of the woman. And when she eventually began to question him and demand her money back, his true colors emerged. He resorted to outright blackmail, threatening to disseminate these intimate images online if she dared to pursue her demands. To further evade detection, he apparently used a variety of different phone numbers, adding another layer to his calculated deception.

Thankfully, the woman, despite her immense distress, found the courage to report these horrendous acts to the authorities. The Cyber Crime Police, after receiving her complaint, sprang into action, leading to Dr. Routray's eventual arrest. It's a testament to her bravery, really. The investigation is, of course, still very much ongoing, with officers meticulously piecing together the full scope of his activities.

What’s even more disturbing, however, is that this isn't Dr. Routray's first rodeo, so to speak. Police records indicate he has a history of similar offenses. In fact, he was arrested back in 2017 for allegedly defrauding another woman of a staggering Rs 40 lakh. Furthermore, he’s reportedly implicated in a land dispute case in his home district of Jagatsinghpur. It truly paints a picture of a serial con artist, doesn't it? One can only hope that justice will finally be served for all his alleged victims.