Bhubaneswar: A special squad led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) with the help of Airport police on Monday busted a three-member gang involving a man and his brother-in-law.
“Ganesh Purty and Shankar Das are two miscreants who reside in a slum near Vani Vihar area in the state capital. They are related to each other as brother-in-laws. They specifically target elderly women who are out for their morning walks and snatch their gold chains. If anyone tries to resist, they even attack them with sharp weapons. They have an accomplice named Sheikh Nimayar (Chhotu) who helps them in their crimes. Sheikh resides in a slum near Sahid Nagar area though he is a resident of Medinipur, informed police commissioner Sanjib Panda at a presser.
According to Police Commissioner, Ganesh and Shankar are veteran snatchers and have cases registered against them in various police stations across the state. In Bhubaneswar alone, Ganesh has 39 cases against him, while Shankar has 29 cases. They have been to jail multiple times and have even served a seven-year sentence in one case. They were released on bail from the High Court in May last year. Sheikh also has multiple cases against him in Balasore. Ganesh and Shanker met Sheikh in jail and became friends.”
Panda moreover said, “In the past three weeks, the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack witnessed six chain snatching cases, especially during the morning. The modus operandi of the loot was similar every time. After receiving several complaints, the Commissionerate Police formed a special team under the leadership of DCP Prateek Singh. The team searched the CCTV footage of the areas where the chain-snatching incidents were reported. The police team traced their whereabouts and eventually succeeded in arresting them. Four gold chains, three imitation chains, three mobile phones, a bike used in the loot, and a knife have been seized from their possession.”
