The Barbil police arrested four persons involved in connection with sponge iron smuggling, who were sent to jail after their bail pleas were rejected.
Sources said one Bhaskar Rao, an original inhabitant of Hyderabad who is now residing at Barbil, had engaged some trucks and dumpers for transporting sponge iron from Rungta Sponge Iron factory at Karajhendra to local railway siding.
On April 10, one dumper No OR/14N/3778 loaded with sponge iron had gone to the railway siding for unloading the sponge iron but did not return back in the scheduled time which created doubt in Rao’s mind and Bhaskar registered a FIR in Barbil police station.
Acting immediately, the police under the leadership of Mukesh Bhamoo started investigation and arrested one Sanjaya Pradhan, the master mind of a racket and his associates Anil Mahakud and Krishna Prasad Chowrasia (dumper driver), besides one Gopal Gupta. Gupta was purchasing the confiscated materials at Hatgamhria of Jharkhand. The police also seized `94, 000 from driver Chowrasia and a Bollero jeep No. OR/05AV/6216 used in the smuggling.
After an inquiry, it was revealed that the racket was diverting sponge iron from the railway siding to different factories in West Bengal and Jharkhand in connivance with some officials.