Online Cricket Betting Scam: Odisha Police Arrests Two for Cheating Over ₹1 Crore

Arrests Made in Major Online Fraud Case

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Police's crime branch has apprehended two individuals accused of swindling a victim out of ₹1.08 crore through an online cricket betting scheme.

The suspects have been named as Rohan, also known as Sk Wasiul Islam (29), hailing from West Bengal, and Jyoti Prakash Pallai (36), a resident of Bhubaneswar, according to police reports.

These arrests followed a formal complaint filed by the victim, who resides in the Kalinganagar region of Jajpur, on May 1.

As per police statements, the victim fell prey to unidentified cyber criminals between August 2022 and January 2025, lured by a fraudulent link to a cricket betting site, resulting in a loss of approximately ₹1.08 crore.

Initially, the victim began with minor payments via UPI but soon became engrossed in the betting, leading to substantial investments.

The fraudsters persuaded him to transfer increasingly larger amounts, culminating in a total transfer of ₹1,08,79,420 from his own account, as well as from those of his wife, friends, and employees.

After two and a half years, the victim recognized the deception and filed a First Information Report (FIR) at the cyber police station.

Utilizing digital evidence, the crime branch team arrested the suspects on Tuesday and presented them in court.

Authorities have confiscated various items from the accused, including passbooks, a cheque book, mobile phones, SIM cards, GST certificates, Aadhar cards, and PAN cards.

The investigation is ongoing, as confirmed by police.