PARADIP: Paradip Model police on Thursday arrested a trade union leader and two of his associates on charges of attempting to kill an assistant general manager (AGM) of Bridge and Roof Co India Limited after the latter refused to pay them extortion money.
Sources said on December 1, on the direction of trade union leader Rakesh Pattnaik of Madhuban, Bapi Pradhan of Nirakarpur in Khurda and Prabash Behera of Sadanga in Keonjhar district visited AGM Abhijit Roy Goswai at Tarini Gada guesthouse near Paradip to greet him on New Year. The duo allegedly demanded extortion from Goswami but the latter refused.
The accused then reached the guesthouse in the afternoon again and thrashed its chef Subasis Jena before firing two rounds. While one of the bullets hit a window of the guesthouse, the other was lodged in a wooden chair. Goswami was not present in the guest house when the incident occurred.
Company supervisor Subhrajit Dalai lodged an FIR with the police the same day based on which a case was registered. Paradip Model IIC Sabyasachi Rout said a pistol, five rounds of cartridges and a magazine along with a mobile phone were seized from Pradhan and Behera.