JAJPUR: Jajpur town police, on Thursday, arrested a dentist for allegedly running a drug smuggling and peddling racket in the district. The accused has been identified as Dr. Nigamananda Khatua. Besides, police also arrested two other members of the racket, identified as Sandip Kumar Mallick of Sundarimuhan and Ratnakar Dixit of Siddheswar of the district.
As per reports, acting on a tip-off, a team of Jajpur town police conducted a raid near Sundari Muhan chhhak in the district headquarters town on Wednesday evening and apprehended both Mallick and Dikshit while they were selling brown sugar. Police also seized 25.02 grams of brown sugar from their possession and took the duo to the police station.
During interrogation, the two revealed that it was Dr Khatua who was supplying the banned substance to them for sale. Police swung into action and arrested the doctor who runs a clinic in Mahaveer Chhak in Jajpur town on Thursday. Jajpur SDPO Satyabrat Lenka said the dentist’s illegal drug dealing came to the fore after the arrest of the two peddlers.
“The dentist was the kingpin of the drug-trafficking network while the duo used to trade in brown sugar in the area. The doctor procured the drugs and supplied those to the peddlers in small quantities,” Lenka said. However, the involvement of other peddlers can only be ascertained during the trio’s interrogation, he added.
The trio was arrested and produced in court on Thursday. They were remanded in judicial custody, police said.