Bhubaneswar: Police Saturday arrested five hooligans including dreaded criminals Akash and Balia in the wake of media reports about their extortion and violent activities in Dumduma and adjoining areas of the Capital city.
Police allegedly tried to remain oblivious of the criminal activities and dilly-dallied over their arrest even as they indulged in violent incidents in the area. Interestingly, police also treated these hooligans as “informers’’ and took a lenient view of their activities.
Recently, several policemen including the Inspector in-charge of Khandagiri police station sustained injuries during violent protests by villagers at Sarakantara under Dumduma area against the release of some of these dreaded criminal elements.
The arrested persons were identified as Biseswar Sadangi alias Akash, Balaram Routray alias Balia, Mrutyunjaya alias Balia, Amit Kumar Barala and a juvenile. All these persons except Amit belong to Sarakantara. Amit is a resident of Khurda. The accused are involved in several cases of extortion, bombing and arson.
Meanwhile, according to a late night report, a bomb was hurled at the residence of Manoj Kumar Das at Sarakantara. Akash’s brother Agni who is out on bail is suspected to have orchestrated the attack.
About 500 residents of Jagannath Nagar went on a rampage with swords, pelted stones at police personnel and hurled petrol bombs in protest against the release of Agni and Balia, October 1. Several policemen were injured in the incident. The agitated villagers torched four houses, two bikes, a hotel and damaged a PCR van.
Later, police arrested several protesters and took no action against the hooligans. The police, however, had arrested Agni Sadangi, the brother of accused Akash. But, Agni was released soon after and attacked a youth at Dumduma Wednesday morning.
Friday, a recorded conversation of Akash went viral on social media in which he was heard issuing death threats to a youth’s father for not paying him extortion money.
Subsequently, police arrested the accused.