Former corporator held for possessing guns

Cuttack: Acting on reliable tip-off, the Commissionerate Police Wednesday conducted a raid at former woman corporator of Cuttack Municipal Corporation, Ranjita Biswal’s residence and arrested her on charges of weapon possession.
‘Fearing violence, the special team conducted the raid and seized two guns and five bullets from the former corporator’s possession. A case was registered under relevant sections and Ranjita was arrested,’ Cuttack DCP Akhileswar Singh confirmed.
According to reports, the Commissionerate police, Tuesday, arrested an aide of gangsters ‘D-brothers’— Sushant and Sushil Dhalasamant. During interrogation, accused Alok Prusti, 27, of Chauliaganj revealed information about Ranjita’s involvement with D-brothers following which the cops raided her house and recovered the guns.
Police also seized a gun and two bullets from Prusti’s possession, sources said.
The D-brothers had plans to cause untoward violence during the elections, the DCP of Cuttack, Akhileshvar Singh, added.
Ranjita, 29, was dismissed from BJD’s primary membership in 2018 after she was arrested for allegedly supplying firearms to Mrityunjay Nayak, who had attempted to kill contractor Bijan Pal, at the behest of Sushant Dhalasamant.
Police claimed that Ranjita was in touch with D-brothers, who have been lodged in jails following their arrest in 2016. “The gangster brothers were running their crime syndicate through Ranjita. She used to pass D-brothers’ instructions to the gangsters’ aides. Ranjita was supplying guns to criminals,” said the DCP.
Police claimed that the aides of D-brothers were fixing tenders and extorting traders in Cuttack and its nearby areas.
“We are trying to know from where the gangster brothers were collecting guns and how they were contacting Ranjita. Our officials would find out the involvement of any other person in the crime,” said a police officer.
Prusti were earlier booked in four cases at Chauliaganj police station. Ranjita had been booked in two cases at Chauliaganj and Cuttack Sadar police station.