CUTTACK: Chauliaganj Police on Sunday arrested Pranakrushna Rout alias Babu (46) for his involvement in illegal sand quarrying activities of Dhal Samanta brothers.
With this, the total number of persons arrested in connection with cases involving the gangster siblings reached 32.
Police sources said Babu of Bidyadharpur Satyanarayan Sahi under Barang police limits is a close associate of the duo and owned the lease of a Bali Ghat (sand dune) at Trisulia by fixing tender process at gunpoint.
In order to make a breakthrough into illegal sand quarrying activities of Dhal Samanta brothers, the Commissionerate Police on April 8 had served notice on 13 persons to make themselves present in Chauliaganj police station for interrogation. Of the total 13, eight persons belonged to Cuttack district while the rest five were from outside the State.
The eight from Cuttack district comprised two persons of Baranga, four of Badambadi and one each of Choudwar and Cuttack Sadar. The outsiders, who have been summoned, consist of three persons of Rajasthan, one each from Uttar Pradesh and Kolkata.
All the eight persons of Cuttack were interrogated by a special team of Commissionerate Police in Chauliaganj police station on Friday and Saturday. Babu’s involvement in the crime network of Dhal Samanta brothers was found during interrogation, a senior police officer said.