FOUR MISCREANTS ARRESTED WITH FIRE ARMS

FOUR MISCREANTS ARRESTED WITH FIRE ARMS

20-AUG-ENG 12

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA------------------------------A joint team comprising the Babura Police and the STF arrested four notorious criminals belonging to a gang that extorted money at gunpoint from boatmen engaged in illegal sand mining along the banks of the Son River in the Babura police station area. Two .315 bore rifles, one country-made pistol, live cartridges, and three mobile phones were recovered from the criminals. According to the police, the gang members used to extort money by threatening boatmen involved in illegal sand mining in the Son River with weapons.

This operation was conducted on the night of August 18–19 based on a tip-off received by the Superintendent of Police, Bhojpur. Acting on information that criminals were gathering near the Joga Baba Temple on the banks of the Son River in Bindgawa village (under the Babura police station area), the joint police and STF team laid a trap and conducted a raid. Panic ensued among the criminals upon seeing the police, but the team acted swiftly and apprehended all four. During the search, weapons, cartridges, and mobile phones were recovered. Information provided by the SDPO at the press conference: Speaking at a press conference held at the Babura police station premises, Sadar SDPO-2 Ranjeet Kumar Singh stated that the police had received information about criminals extorting money at gunpoint from boatmen engaged in illegal sand mining along the Son River and planning to execute a major crime.

Investigations are underway to determine how many other people are associated with the gang and from whom extortion money has been collected in the past. The arrested individuals have been identified as Putus (alias Ravi Kumar); Akhilesh Kumar (son of the late Ramsahay Rai, resident of Semra village under Babura police station limits); Sanjit (son of Jitendra Rai, resident of Birampur village under Gidha police station limits); Kumar (resident of Mahakampur Bara village); and Chhotu Yadav (son of Ravishankar Rai, resident of Ara Mufassil police station limits). According to the police, the arrested Putus (alias Ravi Kumar) has a prior criminal record.

Following the verification of information, a joint team comprising the Babura police and the STF conducted a raid near the Joga Baba temple on the banks of the Son River. During the operation, all four accused were arrested with illegal weapons. The arrested criminals, hailing from four different police station areas, include the son of Shaklu Rai (a resident of Mahadevchak under Koilwar police station limits).

The police have seized the recovered weapons and mobile phones for investigation. Information regarding other gang members and activities related to illegal sand mining is being gathered through the interrogation of the arrested accused. Subsequently, the police sent all the accused to jail after completing the legal formalities.