Bhubaneswar: Mancheswar police Sunday arrested nine hoodlums who Saturday bulldozed the compound wall of a shop in Mancheswar area and dug up a pit in front of it in a bid to prevent access of customers after the owner of the shop refused to pay them Rs 50,000 ‘chanda’ (donation) for Gajalaxmi Puja pandal in the locality. Those arrested were identified as Sangram Bhoi, Sagar Bhoi, Dasarathi Nayak, Manas Kumar Behera, Tulu Bhoi, Prakash Behera, Kanhu Bhoi, Kamlesh Behera and Dasrathi Sahoo. While Kamlesh and Dasrathi live in Dhirikuti Sahi near Saheed Nagar, the rest are residents of Bhotapada Sahi under Mancheswar police station.
IIC Manas Kumar Swain said the arrested hoodlums are known history sheeters who had been booked over a dozen times in the past for various offences. Swain said Saturday, the hoodlums approached the businessman, who runs a gas agency at Bhotapada, and demanded Rs 50,000 as a donation for Gaja Laxmi Puja. When the businessman refused to pay, the miscreants returned in the evening with an earth mover (bulldozer) and knocked down the boundary walls of the shop even as the businessman kept protesting. They later then dug up a pit in front of the shop in order to make it difficult for customers to access the entrance. Before fleeing, they told the businessman that he will have to face similar consequences if he didn’t contribute donations for other functions. The arrested were produced in a local court for remand Sunday after they were charged under various BNS Sections.