Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police Thursday claimed to have arrested four members of an interstate gang from Tamil Nadu that was involved in at least a dozen cases of theft here. The police also seized four laptops, 25 mobile phones, iron balls, mud pellets and several incriminating materials from their possession. Twin city police commissioner Sanjeeb Panda said the accused, identified as B Mohit, 48, Nanda Kumar, 47, S Dinesh, 47 and P Murthy, 42, used to break windscreens of cars with iron catapults before decamping with valuables from these vehicles.
Using the same trick, the gang members had made away with several articles and valuables from the car of Sarthak Sourav Mohapatra, an OAS officer, last week, said Panda, adding that they also target passengers in crowded Mo Buses. Police found that the accused used to sell the booty at Tiruchirappalli market at a premium. “The cops swung into action after a victim complained to Saheed Nagar police station July 15 alleging his phone was snatched away by four bike-borne miscreants near Vani Vihar Mo Bus stand. July 27, the cops were tipped about some miscreants selling mobile phones at inflated rates near Science Park. Later, the cops rushed to the spot and rounded up the accused. They were arrested when they failed to produce valid documents on the mobile phones,” said Panda. The men were booked under various Sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and produced in a local court.
DEBADURLLAV HARICHANDAN, OP
