BHUBANESWAR: On a day when Dhal Samanta brothers - Sushant and Sushil - declined consent to undergo polygraph test, Cuttack Police went after more members of the crime syndicate and those linked with the duo.
The siblings were produced before the court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) at Cuttack after the end of their five-day remand period on Saturday. After they refused to undergo the lie detection test, the Magistrate remanded them to judicial custody.
On the day, Cuttack Police arrested another aide of Dhal Samanta brothers from Jobra area. It also seized a gun and six rounds of ammunition from his possession. Identified as Sangram Routray, police are interrogating him for his role in the gang. With this, the total number of arrests has gone up to eight so far.
Routray, Cuttack Police said, was a lead member of the local puja committee and had access to political leaders and influential persons.
Hours after Routray’s arrest, Cuttack Police also quizzed Ranjita Biswal, corporator of Ward No 7 of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) for her alleged links with the Dhal Samanta brothers. She admitted to be holding joint secretary position with Cuttack Nagar Yuvak Sangh, the charitable body floated by Sushil. After interrogation, she told mediapersons that she knew the siblings and would cooperate with the investigation. Police have also seized call details of about 20 persons from the house of the brothers.
Sources said the police will seek fresh remand of the duo on Monday. Since investigation is at a crucial stage with more evidence coming its way, the Commissionerate Police may request for another seven days of custody.
“By and large, we know how the murders of Dipu Mallick and Omm Swain took place and the manner in which their bodies were disposed. Since we are getting more material evidence, we would like to confront the brothers to these evidence and investigate further,” police sources said.
The Commissionerate Police is, currently, awaiting outcome of the ballistic and forensic examination. Similarly, it is hopeful of getting more evidence from the investigation conducted by Jharkhand’s Gua Police which had probed into the disposal of bodies which are stated to be that of Dipu and Omm. Although the police have received the copies of postmortem and investigation reports, it has sought the certified copies from the local court in Jharkhand. It will also examine the Investigating Officer (IO) in this connection.