Odisha: Now gangster Tito’s wife to face probe heat

Cuttack: They say behind every great man is a woman. And perhaps the same holds true for gangsters too. The case in point is notorious gangster Syed Usman Ali alias Tito who keeps on surprising police about his luxurious lifestyle. Now, the gangster’s wife is under police scanner for allegedly helping her husband to amass properties like anything.

Sources said the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Crime Branch will soon interrogate Tito’s wife Benajir Bibi for reportedly owning most of the properties of the gangster.

During the course of investigation, the STF got to know that the dreaded criminal owns an Audi Q7 car (OD 02 AA 0686) worth more than Rs 90 lakh and it is registered in the name of his wife.

This apart, Benajir, who is a housewife, also owns some petrol pumps and huge amount of fixed deposits in several banks.

Earlier in the day, Tito’s five bank accounts of having Rs 16,42, 565 were frozen. Yesterday, the STF initiated the process of freezing more than 50 bank accounts of the dreaded gangster, his wife Benazir and 16 other relatives.

The STF also grilled Bapu Parida of Paradip regarding his links with the notorious gangster. As many as 25 cases like murder, attempt to murder, rioting among others against Parida.

The Crime Branch has also served a notice to producer of Odia movie “Biswanath” over allegations that Tito had invested in it, sources added.

The gangster’s second phase remand ended on Thursday.

On July 9, the STF took the gangster on remand for another four days in order to question him about his crime and business network after his first phase of five-day remand ended on June 4.

Police sources said STF will also provide its investigation reports to Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Income Tax department for taking action against Tito under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and under Benami Property Transactions Act respectively.