Bhawanipatna: Sadar police here in Kalahandi district arrested five persons Tuesday, including four alleged web journalists on the charge of looting Rs 2.55 lakh from a businessman of Kantabanji area in Bolangir district. The accused were identified as Lakshmi Ranjan Bag, Ajit Kumar Pujari, Madhusudan Mohapatra, Sangram Keshari Patra and Hanif Khan while the sixth accused is still absconding. All the accused were produced in court after medical examination.
Among them, Lakhsmi Ranjan, Ajit, Madhusudan and Sangram are allegedly web journalists while Hanif is a cosmetic shop owner. Cash worth Rs 68,100, a car, one Bajaj Pulsar motorcycle, eight mobile phones and booms of various web channels were found in their possession, Sadar police IIC Naresh Pradhan said.
The sixth accused Tulamani Nag, also a web journalist is absconding, the IIC informed. The incident occurred when a trader identified as Akbar Khan was returning home in his car from Hyderabad October 2. The miscreants waylaid his car at the ‘No Entry’ zone near the agriculture college here and robbed him of Rs 2.55 lakh. The complaint was lodged October 2. Police registered a case and launched an investigation after the trader lodged a complaint at the Sadar police station.