Kalahandi Police Capture Dacoit Gang with Record Cash Seizure of Rs 3.51 Crore | Bhubaneswar News
BHUBANESWAR: Police in Kalahandi district on Saturday seized Rs 3.51 crore in cash while arresting a gang of eight dacoits from Jharkhand’s Ranchi.
This marked the highest ever cash seizure from criminals involved in a loot case in Odisha’s history.
Previously, about Rs 2.35 crore was recovered from gangster siblings Sushil and Sushant Dhal Samant‘s Cuttack residence following their arrest on January 29, 2016.
DGP Y B Khurania said that the armed dacoits stole Rs 3.51 crore from a liquor manufacturing facility in Dharamgarh, Kalahandi, during the intervening night between January 30 and 31 at gunpoint. “The police arrested all the suspects and recovered the entire stolen amount within 24 hours. Kalahandi police carried out a commendable operation in cracking this significant crime,” Khurania told TOI.
The Ranchi-based accused, aged between 30 and 40, are Tahir Ansari from Narkopi, Hussen Khan from Lohargada, Basudev Gope from Gumla, Jasim Khan, Samim Ansari, Pintu alias Alim, Anuj Kumar, and Kameswar Yadav from Chanho. Police have seized a country-made pistol with ammunition and a knife from them.
Khurania said that state police headquarters supported Kalahandi police, who secured all entry and exit points immediately after coming to know about the crime. Sources indicate that police tracked the suspects’ vehicle through CCTV footage and chased them for approximately 30 kilometres at night. The dacoits attempted to escape by leaping from their vehicle.
Kalahandi SP, Abilash G, said that police initially caught two criminals while six fled. “Information from the captured suspects led to the arrest of their associates from Ranchi,” Abilash said.
Investigations revealed that one of the accused was previously employed at the targeted liquor facility but was dismissed recently for misconduct.
Police have come to know that some of the accused had prior involvement in multiple robbery cases in Jharkhand and served three years imprisonment for a previous loot case.
Police are planning to take them on remand for interrogation to know their possible involvement in other crimes in the state and outside.
