Four criminals of Pandey gang who threatened businessmen and contractors for levy have been arrested.

On the basis of secret information received by Ramgarh SP Ajay Kumar, police took action and arrested Om Prakash Sahu alias Prakash Sahu, Mukesh Sahu alias Pathan and Sagar Kumar, all three residents of village Napokhurd of Barkagaon police station area of Hazaribagh and Suraj Singh, resident of Bashari Colony of Giddi police station area of Hazaribagh district. All the arrested criminals had demanded levy from contractors in the development works going on in Ramgarh and Hazaribagh districts. Police have seized 14 mobiles and two motorcycles from the arrested criminals.

Kumar said that secret information was received that four-five criminals of Pandey gang have gathered near Deoria Panchayat Bhawan of Bhadaninagar OP area to collect levy from the contractor who is constructing PCC road. "On receiving the information, a team was formed under the leadership of Patratu SDPO. The police team saw five people on two motorcycles roaming around in a suspicious condition near Deoria Panchayat Bhawan. On seeing the police, all the people on the motorcycles started running away. After this, the police team chased and caught four of the five criminals near Matkama Chowk railway gate," he added.

The SP further said that when the police interrogated them, the criminals told that all four work for the Pandey gang and used to extort levy from the contractor doing road construction work in the area by threatening him. "These people had also beaten up the workers at the work site of the PCC road being constructed near Patel Nagar Field and threatened them not to work without paying the levy. Along with this, the contractor who was constructing the PSC road in Buzurg Jamira of Barkakana police station area was also threatened over the phone for levy. Not only this, they had also threatened the contractor doing road construction in Giddi police station area of Hazaribagh district and demanded levy from him," he added.