Kendrapara: Two motorbike borne miscreants Sunday hurled bombs at an earth-moving equipment of a contractor and set it afire during spur-packing work of Luna river embankment at Jayachandrapur village under Marshaghai police limits in this district.
They asked the labourers to stop work and the earthmover driver to alight from the vehicle. The driver and labourers immediately fled the site as the miscreants hurled bombs thrice in quick succession.
Later, they burnt down the equipment. While leaving the site, they terrorised the locals. The incident triggered panic in the area. Police rushed to the spot and started an investigation.
According to Kedarnath Sahu, Kendrapara sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), extortion is believed to be the reason behind the incident.
Police said Naresh Sethy, a contractor and a resident of Dumuka village, had taken the contract for the river embankment’s spur-packing.
Three days ago, hardcore criminal Pratap Sahu alias Bibhu of Bhagabanpur village telephoned Sethy and demanded Rs 10 lakh from him. However, the contractor refused to oblige.
Bibhu sent his associates to unleash terror at the project site, it was learnt.
Fire brigade personnel doused the fire. No FIR has been lodged yet. Police launched a manhunt to nab the accused and have sent feelers to other police stations.
Two motorbike-borne miscreants had similarly hurled bombs at a construction site of L&T in Badakula under Marshaghai police limits December 17.
Earlier, three miscreants had hurled three bombs at a Marshaghai-based poultry farm situated near the residential quarters of the tehsildar November 12.
Residents have alleged that lawlessness has prevailed in areas under Marshaghai police limits over the last few months as hardcore criminals are calling the shots by indulging in loot, extortion, gang wars and bombings. However, the local police have failed to curb the rising incidents of crime, they alleged. PNN
