Keonjhar: Jhumpura police led by IPS probationer Ramendra Prasad, arrested 10 dacoits near Chingudiposi Street, while they were robbing a vehicle and extorting money, late Friday night. This was stated in a press conference held at Jhumpura police station in Keonjhar district, Saturday.
Cash worth Rs2,500 was seized from their possession, Champua SDPO Vijay Mallik said.
The accused were identified as Rabindra Mahanta, 43, Chandramohan Mahanta, 45, Loknath Mahanta, 19, Mahendra Mahanta, 36, Bhagwan Mahanta, 31, Deepak Sitari, 20, Shivanand Sitari, 19, Vikas Lohar, 51, Rajesh Sitari, 22, Sushil Kalandi aka Kala, 24, of Chingudiposi village.
Police said it had received complaints of extortion from various vehicles such as trucks and cars on the KatalapashiDhatika road under Jhumpura police station limits.
A police team led by the IPS probationer Prasad raided the area after a complaint was filed by some truck drivers plying on the route about a gang of robbers extorting money from them. Ten persons were brought to the police station on the charge and their involvement in the crime was proved during interrogation.
The police said that the accused regularly stopped vehicles on this road as part of their extortion bid from the drivers and the occupants. The accused demanded money from the drivers and beat them up when they refused their demands.
Inspector Sambari Hansda, Sub Inspector Sanatan Mahanta, ASI Shrivanth Naik, Kalindra Pradhan, Jagannathan Kandelkar Major and armed police personnel also participated in the raid.
PNN