Kendrapara: Sadar police and a team of the special police arrested seven members of an inter-district gang of dacoits Saturday.
The police seized a US-made pistol, two live cartridges, a toy pistol, three bikes, seven mobile phones, two red chilli powder packets, two liquor bottles, a sword and four iron rods from them, said Kendrapara ASP Aruna Kumar Jena.
A police team on night patrol got a tip-off that some criminals had assembled at the rear of a building belonging to Saffat Ullah on Thakurpatana-Analabanka R&B Road, and were planning an armed robbery at a nearby village.
The police managed to arrest seven members of the gang, while three others escaped.
The arrested were Zakir Khan, 31, of Haladia, Papu alias Rakesh Behera, 20, of Tikhiri, Suraj alias Sk. Sahir, 20, of Ranapada, Bubu alias Bimal Prasad Das, 24, of Bada Kalabuda, Yusuf Khan, 22, of Mir Mohalla in Jagatsinghpur district, Chanu alias Md. Hamid, 35, of Jadupur in Khurda district and Gudu alias Ranjan Kumar Sethy, 38, of Gopapura.
Most of the arrested men are professional criminals. Zakir was involved in the killing a villager Sridhar Sahu December 30, 2016 with the help of Lala alias Mojamil Khan. He was also involved in extortion and robbery, and in firing at Sk. Abdullah August 15, 2016.
Apart from committing robberies, the gang also used to sell weapons. Police registered a case under Sections 399, 402 of IPC and produce the arrested men in the SDJM court here. They were remanded in judicial custody after their bail petitions were rejected, said IIC Kabuli Barik.
A manhunt is on to nab the other gang members, he added.
PNN
