BERHAMPUR: A wanted criminal, Ananta Kumar Machua alias Mani was arrested following an encounter with police on Tuesday. Mani, a native of Ranpur in Nayagarh district, was injured in the exchange of fire and is undergoing treatment at MKCG Medical College and Hospital. A history-sheeter, he has several criminal cases pending against him in police stations under Ganjam, Khurda and Nayagarh districts and had allegedly planned the loot of liquor worth Rs 30 lakh from Badaghati under Khallikote police limits on December 4.
Early on Tuesday morning, police received information about his presence near Khallikote and a team of cops intercepted him at Gudidhepa on NH-16. Seeing the police, Mani opened fire at them. He was shot in his right leg as police retaliated. He fell down from his motorcycle and was overpowered. A pistol with four rounds of bullets, cash of Rs 1,500 and the motorcycle were seized from him. He was admitted to Khallikote Hospital and later shifted to MKCG MCH.
Ganjam SP, Brijesh Roy said Mani is the 60th criminal to be arrested in Ganjam following encounters in the last two years. He said Mani was the mastermind of the liquor loot case on December 4 night. A gang of robbers had made away with a truck transporting liquor worth Rs 30 lakh to Nirgundi in Cuttack district after attacking its driver and helper near Badaghati.
The driver of the truck lodged a police complaint following which, a special team led by Chatrapur SDPO, Ramesh Chandra Sethi was formed to track down the gang. The team traced the truck to Nirakarpur on Monday. Police arrested seven accused from the spot and found out that half of the liquor stock was already sold away. The seven are Purusotom Baliarsingh and Pradip Pratap Singh of Puri, Abhijit and Nasir Saha of Nirakarpur, Biranch Kumar Behera and Manoj Kumar Kandi of Jankia and Banamali Sahu of Cuttack.
During interrogation, they admitted to their involvement in the crime. They informed that after the loot, they took the truck to Nirakarpur and unloaded the stock into another truck. They then sold half of the liquor to two traders - Pramod Martha and Jogeswar Biswal. Both Martha and Biswal have been arrested on the charges of purchasing stolen liquor.
Police also seized both the trucks, the car used in the crime and 10 mobile phones from the seven accused, who informed that Mani was the mastermind of the loot. Police put the mobile number of Mani on tracking and found him at Gudidhepa this morning. The SP informed that investigation is on to trace the remaining stock of IMFL.
Absconding criminal dies in exchange of fire
Berhampur: In another incident, a dreaded criminal Babu Nayak died in an exchange of fire with police on Tuesday. He was wanted in Manitara bank loot case. Police said, six months back Babu was injured in an encounter and after treatment, he was sent to Bhanjanagar sub-jail from where he escaped. Last month, Babu was injured in an accident in Bhanjanagar and admitted to MKCGMCH and he managed to escape from there too. This led to the suspension of five police personnel. A special team was formed to nab him and on a tip-off on Tuesday, police reached Jagannathprasad area and traced him near Karadabani forest along with an accomplice Tapan Jena. On seeing police, Babu opened fire at police, who retaliated. While five cops sustained injuries, police bullets hit Babu in the thigh. Tapan and Babu were admitted to Jaganathprasad hospital and later Babu was shifted to MKCGMCH.