Notorious dacoit gang nabbed; arms, bikes seized

Bhubaneswar, Mar 10:

Commissionerate Police had a major success in busting a dreaded gang of dacoits from Rental Colony here on Sunday night. The gang is involved in as many as 21 cases registered at different police stations in Jagatsinghpur and Khurda districts out of which petrol pump dacoity cases are the most, police said today.

While it has been successful in arresting six members of the gang, it has seized four motorcycles, one country made pistol, four ammunitions, four khokas, six mobile phones, 15 bombs, Rs 9500 in cash, two swords and one chapad from their possession.

The accused have been identified as Bhaskar Ray Pritam (23) alias Papu of Badapokharia in Khurda district, Papuni Majhi (22) alias Papu of Jaganathprasad in Ganjam district at present staying near Pharmacy College at Tamando, Suresh Kumar Barik (20) alias Thekua of Taladanda in Jagatsinghpur district at present staying at Khandagiri, Papu Mallick (19), Biswajit Swain (20) alias Litu and Badal Swain (20), last three hails from Korua village in Jagatsinghpur district will be forwarded to the court today.

The police have slapped various sections against the accused including Arms Act, Explosive Act and Dacoity.

Briefing newsmen here, Twin City Commissioner of Police (CP) Dr R P Sharma said under direct supervision of Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police, the special squad team acting on intelligence inputs, nabbed the six-member gang of looters yesterday who were planning to plot the dacoity near Rental Colony here.

“After interrogating them we have come to know that  they have started their criminal activities at the age of 15 and that they were involved in more than 50 cases out of which 21 cases were registered in different police stations of Jagatsinghpur and Khurda districts,” the CP said.

Of the six, Bhaskar was pursuing his B Tech degree in a city based engineering college, while others were plus two and matric pass- outs, Dr Sharma informed, adding that they always committed dacoity as a group using fire arms and sharp weapons and with the help of motor cycles.

Over the last few days they were staying in a rented apartment at Anant Vihar under Airfield police limits and had committed many crimes in the city, sources said.

This year, as many as 10 cases relating to dacoity in petrol pump, snatching, lifting bikes, robbery were registered at Nayapalli, Saheed Nagar, Khandagiri, Jatani, Bidanasi, Balianta, Olatpur and Jagatsinghpur police stations.

Sseveral cases were registered at Paradeep, Nuagaon, Khurda and Special Task Force police stations against them since 2009.

“Investigation is on to know their involvement in other cases and to ascertain if more persons are part of this dacoity gang” Dr Sharma added.