To control the law and order situation in Jharsuguda in view of the upcoming municipal elections, the district police have stepped up the security in the locality.
At the behest of SP Jharsuguda, two hardcore anti-socials Sonu Ghosh and Praful Chhatri were booked on March 27 last.
They were involved in a firing case at Rampur colliery in Brajarajnagar. While Ghosh was previously acquitted by a court in Arjun Singh murder case, Chhatri, who was a councilor of Ward (9) of Brajarajnagar Municipality, was involved in a firing case a few months before.
Sources said most of crimes are being committed by the coal smugglers in the Jharsuguda-Brajarajnagar-Belpahar industrial and coal belt area. By establishing a terror network, the coal smugglers are minting money through illegal transportation of coal and scrap.
Hence, the locals have been demanding crackdown on illegal trading of coal and scrap.