12-member highway robbers’ gang arrested in Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Keonjhar, Oct 22:

Days after a 10-member gang of highways robbers was arrested by Angul police, another 12-member gang was arrested by the police in Odisha’s Keonjhar district today. All the members of the gang were forwarded to court today, police said.

Police said the gang was involved in at least 20 cases of theft of aluminium laden trucks.

The gang mainly targeted trucks carrying aluminium from Hindalco in Hirakud, Nalco and other places, police said.

Speaking to reporters here, IGP (Western) R K Sharma said “We have seized 10 vehicles of different types from them. They are a 12-member gang. Four of them hail from neighbouring West Bengal while eight are from Odisha”.

The gang had allegedly kidnapped the driver and helper of a West Bengal bound truck carrying aluminium coils and had later killed the driver Brijlal Sahu and disposed of his body in the dense forest near Jashipur in Mayurbhanj district while helper Rana Besan Bisoi had managed to escape, informed Sharma.

Keonjhar S P Kabita Jalan said that the mastermind of the gang had been identified as Nilakantha Sankhari.