PATNAGARH (BALANGIR) : Patnagarh police conducted an inquest into the death of criminal Abisekh alias Prem alias Mahesh Behera.
He shot himself dead on Friday to escape arrest. Behera was part of a four-member gang who had kidnapped Antaryami Pradhan, a teacher and husband of chairman of Bheden block in Bargarh district Sujata Pradhan. Antaryami was kidnapped for ransom on November 24 and was rescued by police the next night from Kantabanji.
Police recovered a 7.65 mouser, nine ATM cards, 12 SIM cards, two mobile phones, 10 rounds of live ammunition and empty shell of one bullet besides `6949 cash. Police also recovered a Voter ID Card and a PAN Card from Behera’s body.
The three others arrested were forwarded to court which remanded them in judicial custody. Bargarh police has reportedly moved the court for taking the arrested on transit remand for interrogation in the kidnap case and investigate their possible involvement in other cases in the district.
The three are Nandi Nayak, Siba Shankar Khansama and Ashok Kumar Pujari. The car seized had another number plate inside it and a verification revealed that it was stolen from Pottangi in Koraput district. A case has been filed at Pottangi police station. The car was used to kidnap Pradhan.