High alert sounded in Odisha capital over four mystery men

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jan 26:

Commissionerate police have sounded high alert in Odisha capital today over the disappearance of four suspicious men in the city who rushed out from a hotel last night after being asked to produce identity proof necessary to book a room.

“In view of the Republic Day celebration, police are on high alert. We did routine frisking of vehicles and checking in hotels. Yesterday night at around 10 pm, we received information about a person conversing in English seeking to check in to Hotel Arya Mahal in the city. He was seeking two rooms for four persons. When the hotel staff asked for ID proof, the person said that he will get a passport or other proof from his friends waiting in a vehicle outside the hotel. Soon after, they fled from the scene,” Twin City Commissioner RP Sharma said.

The activity of the yet-to-be identified men raised suspicion among the hotel staff who alerted the local police about the incident.

“A police constable went after the Ford Ikon car bearing registration number DL 4C 9645. We checked with the central agencies about the credentials of the vehicle which turned out to be fake raising further suspicion,” Sharma added.

Meanwhile, the Commissionerate police have released CCTV grabs of the vehicle and the suspect to trace them.

Besides, Commissionerate police have alerted SPs of all districts after the development.

On the other hand, entry and exit points to the city have been sealed and vehicles are being frisked to trace the suspicious elements.

It may be mentioned that a person, identifying himself to be an Iraqi national, had gone to a city-based hotel enquiring to book two rooms for four of his accomplices who were waiting in a car outside the hotel near Master Canteen Square.

A hotel staff had shown rooms to the suspected man. When they asked about ID proof, he rushed outside saying he would fetch it from his friends waiting in the car. When he didn’t turn up, the staff grew suspicious and informed the local police, a hotel staff said.

Meanwhile, the Special Task Force (STF), led by IG Arun Bothra of Crime Branch of Police, has begun investigation into the incident and launched an operation to trace the four men.