Berhampur: Police Saturday arrested two persons, including a truck driver, in connection with a highway robbery case reported near R Sumandi under Ganjam district about a week back.
Rs 20.80 lakh, two mobile phones along with a car were seized from the arrested accused persons identified as Manoj Bisoi (34) of Antaraba of Adava police station limit in Gajapati district and Jamal Khan (41) of Haripur in Khurda district who was also the driver of the truck, from where they miscreants looted the cash.
“Three other persons were involved in the looting case. We have identified them and they will be arrested soon,” said additional SP (Berhampur) Shantanu Das.
Police said at least four persons had looted Rs 21.5 lakh by assaulting the driver and helper of a fish-laden truck which was on its way from Cuttack and heading towards Andhra Pradesh December 2. The gang members had also looted the mobile phones of the driver and helper.
The driver Jamal Khan — one of the accused in the case — had intimated about the incident to the police and also to the truck owner Tayab Khan of Talcher, a fish trader. Police started investigation following an FIR lodged by the Tayab Khan.
“During the investigation, we came to know that the driver himself had hatched a conspiracy to loot the cash from the truck. He had passed information to the main accused Manoj Bisoi at Kanishi, while he was parking the truck before the incident,” said sub divisional police officer, Berhampur Sadara AK Mohanty.
According to the plan, four persons came in a car and intercepted the truck at R Sumandi on National Highway 16 and looted the cash and mobiles by assaulting the driver and helper, as per their earlier plan.
During interrogation, the driver has confessed to the crime, said inspector in-charge, Golanthara Alok Jena. The cash and mobile phones, which were Bisoi’s possession, have been recovered from his house.
A police team has been constituted to nab the other three accused persons, allegedly involved in the loot, he said. PNN
