Bhubaneswar: The police have arrested a woman and her husband for allegedly duping a druggist of Rs 40 lakh in Odisha’s Kendrapara district.

The arrested couple has been identified as Veena Mishra and her husband Bibhukalyan Mishra of Pattamundai area in Kendrapara.

The cops have also arrested one Rahul Joshi of Uttarakhand in connection with the cheating case.

Bibhukalyan was reportedly working as a senior official in a pharmaceutical firm at Haridwar in Uttarakhand.

He had developed friendship with Santosh Parida, the owner of a drugstore in Marshaghai area of Kendrapara, a few years ago. Their friendship deepened further when Bibhukalyan’s wife Veena tied Rakhi on Santosh during the Raksha Bandhan festival.

Bibhukalyan had introduced Rahul to Santosh some days ago. He had told Santosh that Rahul was working as a private secretary to the Health Minister in Uttarakhand.

Bibhukalyan had also told Santosh that Rahul would help him in establishing a pharmaceutical firm in Odisha.

He had allegedly taken Rs 40 lakh from Santosh on the promise of making all arrangements for setting up of the pharmaceutical unit. However, Bibhukalyan neither kept his promise nor did he return the money.

Santosh had lodged a complaint in this regard with Patkura police. The police later arrested Bibhukalyan and his wife and produced them in a local court.