Intensifying their investigation into the collection of extortion money from private buses at the Badambadi bus-stand by Pramod Patra alias Bhuan, one of the closest associates of the Dhalsamant brothers, the Commissionerate Police on Sunday grilled Ajay Barik, secretary of Cuttack Private Bus Owners’ Association and Deputy Mayor of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) belonging to the BJD.
Reliable sources said the police, during interrogation, got vital information about Bhuan’s mode of collection of extortion money and the amount collected by him so far.
According to police, Bhuan was collecting extortion money from about 7,000 buses, including 230 of the Cuttack Private Bus Owners’ Association and some inter-State buses from the bus-stand every day.
Meanwhile, with two private bus owners’ associations from Bhubaneswar lodging complaints against Bhuan at the Badambadi Police Station on Saturday, the Cuttack Private Bus Owners’ Association has also decided to lodge a similar complaint with the police, the sources added.
After his arrest, the police have so far registered four cases against Bhuan, who is now lodged in the Choudwar Circle Jail.
Bhuan was arrested and sent to jail on February 21 on the basis of information received from the CDs which were seized from the D brothers’ house. Police also found his involvement in a number of murder and extortion cases pending at the Chauliaganj police station in the city. Besides, police had raided his house at Shankarpur and seized cash worth `76.20 lakh.