Rourkela: Five men were arrested in Sundargarh district on Monday evening for allegedly threatening police officers with firearms and demanding the release of an accused from custody.
The incident unfolded when police arrested Rajesh Ranjan Das (35) during a routine vehicle check on Sunday night for drunk driving. When Das’s associates protested, the cops refused to release him and took him to Bargaon police station.
Around 11 pm, six men arrived at the police station in a van, armed with country-made firearms. They demanded release of Das and allegedly hurled abuses at the police personnel, leading to a confrontation. While four suspects were immediately detained, two managed to escape.
“We have arrested five persons in this case and are searching for two more suspects,” said Balunkeswar Naik, inspector in-charge, Bargaon police station.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Rajesh Ranjan Das (40), Gyanendra Kharsel (25), Bikash Sa (24), Baliram Raj (23) and Mohan Gupta (23). Police have seized a country-made gun, a sharp weapon, iron pipe, a van, and a motorcycle from them.