CUTTACK: Commissionerate Police on Thursday night arrested two associates of Dhal Samanta brothers near Biribati on Cuttack-Paradeep road. The duo was identified as Dipti Ranjan Das alias Bituni (26) of Chandura and Subhasis Swain alias Tapu (37) of Thakur Patana in Jagatsinghpur district. Both Bituni and Tapu were sharp-shooters working for Bharat Bhushan Swain, a close associate of the dreaded Dhal Samanta brothers.
The duo was working as Bharat's bodyguard and involved in tender fixing, extortion and supply of arms and ammunition."The two were detained during picketing conducted by the city police on the eve of Durga Puja," said Cuttack DCP Sanjeev Arora. Both were active in Drainage Division office and Rural Development office at Nayabazar, Roads and Building office in Cuttack, Drainage and Barrage Divisional offices at Gandarpur.
They used to threaten contractors at gunpoint to remain absent during bidding process for tenders.
While Tapu is an accused in a criminal case, Bituni is charged in three cases of extortion by Chauliaganj police, Arora added.
The accused were booked under Sections 387, 120 (B), 34 and Section 27 of the Arms Act and produced in SDJM's court which remanded them in judicial custody.