Commisisonerate Police on Thursday claimed to have busted a notorious criminal gang, arresting its four members including the kingpin Munna Rao, who is stated to be an associate of gangster Prashant Sahoo.
Rao along with Sibananda Bhagat of Buxi Bazaar, Priyabrata Debata of Ersama and Ajay Mohanty of Jobra Nadikula Sahi were nabbed by a special team led by Bidanasi IIC Sunil Mohanty from Chahata Park area, where they had allegedly assembled to plan a dacoity.
Police said the four had come to the park in an SUV and were about to leave for an alleged dacoity in Buxi Bazaar area when they were intercepted. A loaded pistol with six rounds of ammunition was seized from the possession of Rao.
Rao was a hitman of gangster Prashan Sahoo and was allegedly involved in criminal cases like murder and dacoity. He is alleged to have a hand in the abduction and killing of a rival gangster Nalini Nayak in 2009.
Among the four, Sibananda Bhagat was recently shot and wounded by miscreants owing allegiance to rival gangster Tito. He was accompanying a Jagatsinghpur-based contractor, who had come to the city to submit tender papers at the office of the Superintending Engineer of Irrigation, Eastern Circle at Cantonment Road, when the miscreants cornered him near the official residence of DGP and opened fire.The antecedents of the arrested are also verified, police said. The four have been produced in the court.