Three criminals were arrested today in connection with two separate incidents of loot and extortion, police said.
Acting on a tip-off that some criminals were planning to kill and loot a local industrialist, a police team launched a massive search operation near a toll bridge under Kadma Police Station and arrested one Suresh Adhikari (32) from Bhatia park while his accomplice Vikash Das managed to escape, Senior SP Amol V Homkar and city SP Karthik S said in a press conference.
The industrialist, a rubber factory owner in adjoining Adityapur Industrial estate, was carrying cash amounting to Rs 12-lakh, meant to be paid as the salary of his employees, Homkar said.
Adhikari, a former worker in the rubber factory was dismissed several months back, admitted to the police that he and Vikash had planned to loot and kill the industrialist between the toll bridge and Bhatia park, Homkar said, adding that a loaded pistol, a live cartridge and mobile phone was seized from him.
Incidentally, Adhikari had a criminal case pending in RIT and Adityapur Police Station in the adjoining Seraikela-Kharswan district, he said.
In an another incident, one Gulzar Ahmed Ansari alias Sajjad Ansari and Md Rafique Khan from Azadnagar Police Station area were arrested on charges of demanding Rs ten lakhs ransom from a contractor, for whom Sajjad was working as a driver, police said.
Based on a complaint lodged on Monday, Homkar said a special team was formed to nab the culprits after the contractor received a letter through Sajjad threatening to kill him and his entire family, if the demand was not met.
He said that Sajjad has confessed his role in the conspiracy and the mobile phone and SIM card used to make the threatening calls were seized from him.
