In a major achievement, the Baleswar police with help of West Bengal cops on Friday busted an inter-State dacoit gang by arresting four hardcore criminals, who had been mainly targeting rural banks of Odisha and WB for loot. Police said the arrested criminals confessed their involvement in as many as eight such crimes, including six in Odisha and 2 in neighbouring West Bengal.
Police also seized two mousers, a country-made pistol, three magazines, 30 detonators and 12 gelatin sticks from their possession. Besides, Rs23, 70, 000 in cash, 10 mobile phones, a laptop and four motorcycles were also seized, informed, informed SP Awinash Kumar at a Press conference on Friday evening.
They were identified as Sk Azad(28) of Kasimpur village under the Sahdevkhunta police station, Sashikanta Mohanty alias Biswajit (22) and Santosh Kumar Das of Uttarchhak village under the Khantapada PS and Tinku alias Sk Sarifulla(28) of Balu Bazar under the Baleswar Town PS. Sashikant is an album artist, police said. These four along with others had reportedly on Wednesday committed loot in the Nichupada branch of Odisha Gramya Bank near Baripada decamping with over Rs 8 lakh at gun-point.
“There were more criminals and efforts are on to nab them. The arreste four would be taken on remand. The Government would be requested for special PP engagement for speedy trail of their cases,” DIG (Eastern Region) Asheet Panigrahi said, informing that they were forwarded to court on Saturday. Besides, two dacoities, one in East Medinapur and another in West Medinapur were committed reportedly by this gang.
“The goons were using laptop for the purpose of identifying their targets through Google search. They were using gelatin sticks and detonators for the purpose of breaking locks and iron chests. Their involvement in six loots in Odisha and two in West Bengal have come to the fore. Basing on intelligence inputs, the criminals were kept under surveillance,” informed the SP.
The other bank loots committed by the gang in 2014 include Rs80,000 at Baisinga in June,Rs9.81 lakh at Kamarda in May, Rs6.07 lakh at Koliana in April, Rs2.93 lakh in Balasore Sadar area in February and Rs11.35 lakh in Nilagiri in October.