In A significant breakthrough, the Commissionerate police on Monday arrested Pradip Sahu alias Dilu, one of the key accused in the sensational Dipu-Om double murder case in November 2013 in Cuttack.
The accused, who had gone underground for the last five years, was finally nabbed from Rayagada by a police team led by Cuttack DCP Prateek Singh.A pistol, six rounds of bullets and three mobile phones were recovered from his possession. Pradip is the one of the close associates of gangster siblings Sushil and Sushant Dhal Samant, who were earlier arrested in connection with the double murder case.
Commissioner of Police Saumendra Priyadarshi said that the accused was at large for the past five years and a police team managed to nab him after getting reliable information regarding his presence in Rayagada.
“Pradip alias Dilu is one of the key member of the Dalasamant gang. Preliminary investigation revealed that he was looking after tender related works. So far we have found four cases registered against him at Chauliaganj police station,” said Priyadarshi. Notably, Manoj Mallick alias Dipu and Om Prakash Swain alias Om, who worked for the Dhalasamant brothers, went missing in 2013.
Later, police had arrested Sushant and Sushil on January 29, 2016, for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping and murder of Dipu. Later, the siblings were also charged with the kidnapping and murder of Om.
Police then had revealed that Dipu and Om were allegedly abducted from their houses in Cuttack and killed at a farm house near Athagarh in Cuttack district in November 2013.
Later, their bodies were taken to Paschimi Singhbhum in Jharkhand where they were burnt using petrol and later dumped. Sources said Dipu and Om used to extort money for the Dhalasamant gang. And both of them were killed over the dispute over collection of the booty.