Bhubaneswar, May 12: A builder in the city was sent to jail after his bail plea was rejected by a local court today. He was arrested yesterday by Mancheswar police for allegedly cheating a senior citizen of more than Rs 6lakh.

According to the police, Damodar Sharma, a retired professor residing in Shahid Nagar area, had given more than Rs 6lakh to Smruti Ranjan Mohanty, owner of Dream Powers Real Estate and Marketing Private Limited, to buy a plot in 2009.

Sharma in his complaint said the builder had promised him a plot near Barunei hills on the outskirts of the city, but has not given him the land even though 18 months had elapsed after he made the payment. Of late, the builder had started avoiding him, alleged the professor. “He is also threatening me through his office staff,” he said.

The police said the builder had his office in Laxmisagar area when the senior citizen had paid him the money. But recently, Mohanty had shifted his office to Mancheswar area.

“We have registered a case against the accused following complaint from Sharma. We arrested and booked Mohanty under sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 294 (obscene acts and songs), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code,” said a police officer.

He was sent to jail after the court rejected his bail today. This is not the only case of builders taking money from common clients to provide them land in the city and later harassing them.

On April 28, Shahid Nagar police arrested film producer and builder Tribeni Mohanty for allegedly cheating people of hundreds of crores through his consultancy firm. He was also arrested in December 27 last year in the same case and was remanded in judicial custody for more than three months.