Phulbani cops foil murder bid, arrest 6

The Phulbani Town police on Tuesday said it arrested six hardcore criminals while hatching a murder plan for grabbing of a Hanuman coin from a person at a hotel here on Sunday.The arrested are infamous Siddhartha Kumar Muni alias Babu Muni (23) of Aska area in Ganjam district, Akshaya Kumar Jena (43) of Rasulgarh in Bhubaneswar, Prabhat Kumar Rout alias Kahna (27) of Jinjoli in the Bhanjanagar area, Anubrata Rana (36) of Saintala in Balangir district, lal Golap Bathara of the Saintala area and Satrughan Behera of Narla Rupragada in Kalhandi district. However, another member of the group, Anant Mallick alias Binod of Marshipada of Kandhamal district, managed to flee from the area.

Babu Muni has over 25 criminal cases pending against him in various police stations of Ganjam district, police said.Addressing a Press conference here, Town PS IIC Umakant Pradhan said police have also seized a country mouser, seven mobiles, iron rod and a device used for identification of Hanuman coins from them.

According to Pradhan, Akshaya Jena had given Rs 1 lakh to Anant Mallick as advance for a Hanuman coin. Akshaya was staying in Room No 116 of the Hill View lodge here for the purpose. He had given supari to hardcore Babu Muni and Kahna to kill the Hanuman coin possessor. The two were staying in Room No 104 of the Crown Hotel. Besides, Akhaya had hired the three others to indentify Hanuman coin. The three were staying in Room No 105 of Hill View lodge.

According to plan, Anant Mallick and his aide Subash had to bring one Dillip, possessor of a Hanuman coin, to a secluded place at Phulbani. Babu Muni along with would have killed Dillip with a gun after identification of the coin. Then Akshay would have taken it after paying dues to others.Getting information from a reliable source, the Town PS police raided the Room 116 of the Hill View Hotel on July 26 ningh and arrested the six. However, Anant managed to flee from the spot. Babu Muni conceded to the murder plan during investigation, IIC Pradhan said.