Bolangir: A special squad of district police busted an inter-district robbers’ gang and arrested 12 persons including nine dacoits from Patnagarh, police said Thursday.
Two country-made pistols, a sword, sharp-edged weapons, gold ornaments worth lakhs, two SUVs including a Mahindra Bolero and a Tata Sumo and a registration number-less bike were seized from their possession. Four more are absconding.
This was stated here by Superintendent of Police (SP) K Siba Subramani at a press held Thursday.
The dacoits active in Bolangir and Bargarh districts were arrested during a raid at a location in Patnagarh. While nine of them were dacoits, three were nabbed for purchasing the stolen goods.
The accused were identified as Minaketan Pasayat alias Sourav, Mohan Meher alias Mohan, Lingaraj Meher, Anand Dash alias Chotu, Siba Bariha, Sukant Suna alias KK, Basudev Bhoi alias Gour, Indramani Sahu and Panchanan Biswal.
The three persons nabbed for purchasing stolen goods were identified as Alok Biswal of Kundamal village, Gangadhar Meher and Ahyut Meher off Patnagarh. All the 12 accused were produced in a court.
They were arrested after two back-to-back incidents of robbery posed a challenge for the police. The first dacoity was committed at the house Gourang Meher at Bandhapada village under Tusra police limits May 23. Later, the same gang committed a dacoity at the house Pradip Nag at Kudasinga village under the same police limits June 12
In both the cases, the gang decamped with gold ornaments and other valuables worth lakhs of rupees by brandishing sharp-edged weapons and firearms. The gang had also committed dacoity in Gaisilet police limits area of Bargarh district June 24. Tusra IIC Panchanan Nayak and other police officials were present at the press meet.
PNN