The Kalahandi police with the help of Nuapada police arrested all five accused, including a driver and four middlemen, for chopping off palms of two migrant labourers of Kalahandi district, said SP Sarthak Sarangi at a Press meet here on Thursday.
The Kalahandi SP said that all five accused belong to Kotamal village under the Khariar police station of Nuapada district. "During interrogation all of them admitted to have committed the crime on Sunday night in Sindhekela area of Balangir district," Sarangi said, adding, "Besides, two persons have also been detained for questioning."
Sarangi said that they had started a manhunt on Monday to nab the main accused Parbesha Dundi and his aides, including broker Bimal Rout, who chopped off palms of Nilambara Dhangda Majhi (35) and Pialu Dhangada Majhi (30).
According to the police, local contractor Dundi had promised 12 workers from Jaipatna area of Kalahandi district to take them to a Hyderabad brick kiln after paying Rs 14,000 each. But instead of taking them to the promised destination, the contractor took them to Raipur. On the way, 10 workers fled from the clutches of the contractor, but the victims could not.
Dundi and his aides kept the duo in a jungle near Sindhekela area and asked the victims to call their family members over phone to return the money. When they didn't get money, the contractor and his aides chopped off the palms of the duo.
Meanwhile, Kalahandi MP Bhakta Charan Das alleged that the labourers had requested the police to look into the matter, but the police didn't take any action against the contractor.