Rourkela: Rourkela police has arrested a zonal committee member of Peoples’ Liberation Front of India (PLFI) from Gogamukh locality in Assam. He is a close associate of the outlawed outfit’s chief Dinesh Gope, a source informed Saturday.
According to the source, the accused identified as Arjun Rana alias Kapil Pathak led a unit that targeted businessmen in Rourkela. He is a key agent of the Jharkhand-based PLFI. They were engaged in extortion.
“A case in this connection was earlier registered at Raghunathpalli police station October 10 last year. Three persons including Amit Kumar Sahu were previously arrested in connection with the case. Sahu used to provide mobile numbers of businessmen in Rourkela to Rana. Sahu had also given the latter a sedan which was earlier seized in Assam,” a senior official said.
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“Rana is a history-sheeter. He was involved in four cases registered at Raghunathpali, Jhirpani, Koida and Uditnagar police stations in Rourkela of the district. A semi-automatic rifle and five rounds of 9 MM live bullets have been seized from Rana, which he had concealed in Sorada,” the senior official further said.
Rana has revealed the names of some of his associates and action will be taken soon against them, SP Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo said.
Police had then seized three 7 MM pistols and around 55 rounds of livebullets, including few of the SLR automatic weapons and some improvised explosives, from the criminals who were part of an extortion ring running out of the city. The racket was operating to fund PLFI members operating from across the border in Jharkhand.
The criminals used to demand protection money ranging between Rs 30 lakh to Rs 1 crore. It was ascertained during initial probe that some small traders in Rourkela have paid money to the criminals after receiving extortion threats, the SP Bhamoo added.
PNN