Post News Network
Berhampur, May 12: Police cracked the double murder occurred at Lanjipalli under Baidyanathpur police station in Ganjam district May 6.
The incident occurred over disputes between two gangs over looting the train passengers, said Berhampur superintendent of police Sarthak Sarangi. The matter came to the fore after two of the accused involved in the crime were arrested Monday by a joint team of Berhampur and Munger police. The arrested were identified as Banti alias Aniruddha Kumar (20) and Bhola alias Harendra Baral (20). The two accused were present at the site of the murder and were gang members of criminal Lalu.
Banti and Bhola were produced in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate at Munger. Later, Berhampur police brought them on a 60-hour remand.
Sarangi added that Solistis along with his 12 gang members has been looting the train passengers in Orissa, Bihar, Kolkata and Bangalore areas for the last 10 years. Two years ago, Lalu along with some of his associates also started looting the passengers. Both the gang members confronted each other over the issue. Solistis threatened Lalu to stop looting trains. However, Lalu continued his crime without paying any heed to Solistis, for which, scuffles used to occur between them frequently.
Later, May 5, both the gang members united at Berhampur and agreed to conduct the loot operations in trains together. Lalu, along with three of his associates reached Berhampur railway station May 6. In the absence of Solistis, four of his gang members met Lalu at the station. Eight people of both the groups boarded the fast passenger train and looted the passengers between Berhampur and Chhatrapur. Later, all of them alighted at Chhatrapur station, when an altercation erupted between them.
They hired two auto-rickshaws and started for Kamapalli. On the way, associates of Solistis apprised him everything over phone. Solistis, who was hiding himself at a place on the way along with one of his accomplices, waylaid the auto rickshaw boarded by Lalu and his gang members. As Solistis went to the auto, Lalu fired at him at zero range. The bullet pierced into Solistis’ head and he died on the spot. At that time Solistis’ accomplices, who were coming in another auto, cordoned Lalu and fired at him killing him on the spot.
Just after the incident, Lalu’s gang members fled Bihar boarding a train from Ichchapur station. Gang members of Solistis also fled to another state. Police managed to get the identity of some of the people. Efforts were on to nab them, said the SP.
Among others, Berhampur sub-divisional police officer Thakur Prasad Patra, Baidyanathpur police station officer-in-charge Ajay Mishra and Golanthara police station officer-in-charge Alok Jena were present at the press meet.