Former Dhenkanal MlA Krushna Chandra Patra, former district BJP president Deepak Prasad Pattanaik, Naresh Chandra Mahapatra, former Bar Association president Naba Kishore Guru and senior BJP leader Rama Chandra Patra, expressing grave concern over the rising criminal activities in the district, have alleged that many such incidents have taken place due to an unholy nexus between ruling BJD leaders, police and criminals.
Krushna Chandra Patra said accused Mukesh Bihary of Govindpur, who was arrested by the Sambalpur police recently along with his associates for criminal activities over last ten years, was very often seen with the local MlA and MP and carrying many BJD leader to various places in his costly vehicles.
Even, Bihary was found representing the MlA at Sadar block meetings, Patra said.
He wanted that inquiry should be made by an independent organisation to expose the BJD’s link with criminals in the district.
Sources said Mukesh Bihary, who emerged as a student leader during the year 1995, came from a very poor family. He allegedly entered into criminal world from the year 2000 and started to hijack aluminium-laden trucks from NH 55 and sell the stolen materials in Kolkata at prices to the tune of `30 lakh.
Even though there were several pending complaints about missing of aluminium-carrying trucks from NH 55 at the Kantabania, Town, Sadar and Goviondpur police stations, the police have done nothing remarkable to curb the crime.
But the Thellakoli police of Sambalpur district arrested Bihary recently from Govindpur in Dhenkanal on the allegation of hijacking two aluminium-loaded trucks of the Aditya Birla company from NH 55 last year and selling the materials in Kolkata at a cost of `30 lakh. later, Bihary admitted his involvement in the hijack of aluminium trucks before police.
Curiously, despite Bihary’s poor family background, neither the police, nor the Income Tax Department nor other concerned authorities have ever bothered to inquire about his high lifestyle.