Apprehending threat perceptions as well as possibility of the arrested mafia Dhalasamant brothers' escape from custody, the police today took the duo in handcuffs to a location in the city as part of the investigation.
The brothers Sushant and Sushil were fettered separately and made to walk some distance while taking them to their office in the residential locality at Sector 9 in Abhinav Bidanasi under Markat Nagar police station.
The handcuffing happened just a day before the end of their 24-day police remand in four phases.
"Adequate escort and security arrangements were made but the accused were handcuffed because there were threat perceptions," Cuttack DCP Sanjeev Arora said adding that the investigating officer will explain in the SDJM court about the reasons for taking the measure.
Arora said certain evidences pertaining to the business links of the accused persons were collected during their custodial interrogations and they were taken to their office for verification of the same. A business associate of the brothers was arrested on Friday by the city police.
Ever since the brothers were arrested last month on charges of murdering two of their former associates, the police have taken them on remand four times. While the SDJM court had rejected the plea of the investigation officer to handcuff the accused, the State government had approached the High Court challenging the lower court order.
The High Court, however, refused to pass any general direction on handcuffing and had left it open to the IO to handcuff the accused persons, if the situation so demands.
The High Court also directed the IO to justify his action later before the SDJM.
