Post News Network
Cuttack, Dec 9: Commissionerate Police Tuesday claimed to have busted a gang of extortionists with the arrest of four of its members.
Police commissioner Rajendra Prasad Sharma said Debiprasad Das alias Litu, who was one of the four, is a notorious criminal and sharpshooter. Litu, a resident of Gorjang village under Marshaghai police limits in Kendrapara district, faces 16 cases including three murder and tender-fixing cases.
Two pistols, a revolver, cartridges and four mobile phones were seized from Litu, Dillip Kumar Sethy alias Dillu of Kendrapara, Smrutiranjan Jena aka Lucky of Jagatsinghpur and Somnath Sahu alias Som of Chauliaganj, said Sharma.
Litu is known to have a reputation in Cuttack, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts as a hardcore criminal. Litu had killed a person identified as Nimain Sahu of Akhua village under Marshaghai police limits August 15, 2013.
Marshaghai police have filed 11 cases against Litu while three cases including a murder case are pending against Dillu. All criminals were produced in court Tuesday, said deputy commissioner of police Sanjiv Arora.
Five members of the gang were gathered near Neherupalli under Chauliaganj police limits Monday night. On a tip-off from sub-inspector Subas Chandra Mallick, a team led by zone-1 assistant commissioner of police Trinath Mishra and Chauliaganj police inspector Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra conducted a raid and nabbed four of them while another accused managed to give police the slip, Arora said.
During interrogation, the accused revealed startling evidence regarding crimes they have committed, said police adding raids are on to nab other members of the gang.
Police also came to know that Akhana, who was arrested recently and lodged in Choudwar jail, used to extort money from businessmen and contractors with the help of Litu.
Litu recently demanded `5 lakh as extortion from Tulu Mohanty of Chauliaganj. He had threatened Mohanty of dire consequences if the money was not paid. Mohanty had filed a complaint with Chauliaganj police.