Cuttack: Police Saturday arrested four persons including the parents of a jailed gangster for allegedly helping their son continue his extortion activities from inside the prison, police said.
The arrested persons have been identified as Pratap Behera(54) and his wife Puspalata Behera (49) from Gopalsahi along with Ullash Behera (24) and Rahul Murmu (19) from Basundhara lane under Bidanasi area in Cuttack.
The police have also seized a vehicle bearing registration number OD-33-Z-7044 and four mobile phones from their possession.
A source in the police said, Tangi police had arrested Gopal Chandra Gupta, the owner of Shri Gajanan Industry at Manguli Chhak December 21, 2019 for manufacturing fake edible oil. Later, he was sent to jail after being produced in the court December 22, 2019.
Litua alias Bharat Behera, had allegedly asked the businessman to pay up Rs 50 lakh. He had also threatened to kill him along with his family if the money was not paid. Later, Litua called up Gupta’s wife Sima and asked for the same.
A day later, when Gupta’s wife went to Choudwar jail to meet her husband, Litua and his associates threatened her again following which the couple agreed to pay the ransom.
Sima, meanwhile, lodged a complaint at Chauliaganj police station over the threats and acting on her report, a trap was laid. The cops arrested Ullash and Rahul while they had been to Sima’s house at Mahanadi Vihar to collect the money as directed by Litua.
After interrogation, the duo revealed that Litua’s parents were running the extortion racket as instructed by their son who is lodged in jail. Later, the cops arrested Litua’s parents Pratap Behera and Puspalata.
PNN