The Keonjhar police on Wednesday arrested 12 members of a highway dacoit gang, which was involved in at least 20 cases of theft of aluminium-laden trucks.
“The arrested criminals comprised four from West Bengal and eight from Odisha. Police seized 10 vehicles of different types from their possession,” said Western Range Inspector General of Police (IGP) RK Sharma. Sharma said the gang had also kidnapped the driver and helper of a West Bengal-bound truck in which they were carrying aluminium coils.
later, the driver, Brijlal Sahu, was killed by the gang and his body was left in the dense forest near Jashipur in Mayurbhanj district while the helper, Rana Besan Bisoi, managed to escape.
The gang, Sharma said, targeted trucks carrying aluminium from Hindalco at Hirakud, Nalco and other places. Keonjhar SP Kabita Jalan said the mastermind of the gang was identified as Nilakantha Sankhari.