Rourkela: During the ongoing crackdown against illicit firearm trade in the City, the Sector-3 police here arrested two persons and seized a country-made pistol and live ammunition from their possession Sunday night. SDPO Pushpanjali Ningi identified the arrested accused as Vicky Choudhury, a resident of Sector-6, and Sumit Ranjan Rout, who lives in Sector-15 area of Steel City. Giving details of the case, Ningi said Sunday night a team from Sector -3 police station, led by SI Rabindra Bhoin, received information that a deal on illegal firearms was going to be finalised in the area. Accordingly, separate teams were formed which mounted patrolling at various places. Late in the night, one of the teams patrolling near Sector-4 Hanuman temple spotted a speeding Suzuki Maruti Wagon R approaching from Sector-6 direction.
The cops immediately stopped the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, they found a loaded country-made pistol, some live bullets and a magazine along with two mobile phones. The two occupants of the car, Vicky and Sumit, were rounded up and taken to the police station. Vicky, during questioning, allegedly told the cops that he got the pistol from one of his relatives and had plans to sell it off to another person. Describing the seizure as a ‘big success’, Negi said, “We are going to further intensify our crackdown against illegal firearms and narcotic drugs supply activities. The culprits will be dealt with severely.” She, however, refrained from divulging more details about Sunday’s seizure saying it would hamper further investigations into the case. “We are trying to bring the prospective buyer and the person from whom the fi rearm and ammo had been procured to justice,” she said. Significantly, this is the first time in the City that a firearm has been seized from ordinary citizens having no criminal antecedents.