Sambalpur, Oct. 23 -- The Burla Police today busted a large-scale fake recruitment racket that duped hundreds of job seekers in western Odisha with false promises of sweeper jobs in government offices. Two persons have been arrested, and cash worth over Rs 62 lakh has been seized in this connection.

The accused have been identified as Padmavati Tandi and Rahul Ray, who allegedly cheated people by claiming they could secure employment in various government offices. Police said the duo collected around Rs 12,000 per applicant, mostly targeting women and people from economically weaker families in Sambalpur, Bargarh, Boudh, and Sonepur districts.

Modus operandi of the accused According to police, the accused posed as intermediaries with li...