post news network
Cuttack, Feb 18: Chauliaganj police Thursday claimed to have late Wednesday night arrested Shuvendu Das aka Pinta, a close confidant of Sushil and Sushant Dhalasamanta, in connection with murder of the sibling’s former aides Dipu and Om.
“Pinta, a resident of Gopalsahi area of Bidanasi, was involved in the murder of Manoj Mallick alias Dipu and Om Prakash Swain alias Om,” deputy commissioner of police Sanjeev Arora said at a press conference here Thursday.
Police learnt of Pinta’s involvement in the murder during the interrogation of the Dhalasamanta brothers, Arora said.
Pinta and a few aides of the Dhalasamanta siblings had picked up Dipu and Om from their residences November 12, 2013, on the pretext of resolving a dispute, commissionerate police sources said. They took the two to a farmhouse of the siblings in Athagarh area. Dipu and Om were handcuffed and bludgeoned to death in the farmhouse, according to police.
“Pinta had also helped Dhalasamanta brothers in the disposal of the bodies of Dipu and Om in Jharkhand. He has confessed to the crime,” Arora said.
Pinta, a sharpshooter, had developed close rapport with the Dhalasamanta brothers at least five years ago. “At least five criminal cases were registered against Pinta in Bidanasi, Lalbagh and Cantonment police stations of the city,” said a senior police officer.
Police had initially nabbed seven aides of Dhalasamanta brothers in connection with the murder of Dipu and Om. The criminal siblings’ trusted lieutenants Sangram Keshari Routray of Jobra and Sulesh Sahu aka Sola of Ranihata Telisahi were then arrested in connection with the smuggling of firearms. Police had seized three guns and 11 rounds of bullets from Sola, sources said.
