Cuttack: The Commissionerate Police Wednesday claimed to have arrested one of the accused, an associate of Dhalasamanta brothers, in the murder of pulses trader Mohammed Farooq Tayab in Malgodown area of the city November 12, 2014.
Accused Deepak Nayak, alias Shankar, 33, of Gopal Sahi in Ranihaat area was on the run since the incident, police said.
Shankar was a close associate of gangster brothers Sushant and Sushil Dhalasamanta. Shankar along with three others had killed the pulses wholesaler at the behest of the Dhalasamanta brothers. The prime reason behind the crime was extortion, said Police Commissioner Saumendra Priyadarshi at a presser here.
According to police, Shankar and three others had opened fire at Farooq when the latter was in his godown on the fateful day. A critically-injured Farooq was rushed to SCB Medical College and Hospital where he was declared ‘dead on arrival’.
Malgodown police had registered a case in this regard and launched a probe. The police had arrested three persons in connection with the incident. However, Shankar managed to escape to a neighbouring state, police said.
“Shankar recently returned to Cuttack after spending seven years outside Odisha. He had planned to leave the city once again after the recent arrest of Dhalasamanta brothers’ aide Pradeep Sahu. On a tip-off, a special team of the Commissionerate Police nabbed Shankar from near the railway station,” said a police officer.
Police seized a gun and two bullets from Shankar. They also took Shankar to Malgodown and recreated the crime scene.
“Shankar has confessed to the crime during interrogation. He was produced in a local court. The Commissionerate Police will soon take him on remand to conduct further investigation into the murder case. We suspect the involvement of several others in the crime,” said the police officer.