Sundargarh: Sundargarh Sadar police have arrested five self-styled godmen for allegedly cheating and looting innocent villagers in the Sadar police station area.
All five arrested persons are from the Aurangabad region of Bihar. Police have seized gold ornaments worth several lakhs of rupees along with cash amounting to Rs 36,000 from their possession.
The arrested identified as Gugu Panda Dular Panda, Bisal Panda, Dhanu Panda and Doctor Panda. All five have been forwarded to court.
According to police, the gang had been active in the Sadar area for quite some time. They would approach simple villagers, create fear by warning them of impending misfortune or danger to their family, and then demand gold ornaments and cash as offerings to ward off evil.
The latest incident that led to their arrest occurred yesterday when three of the fake babas visited the house of Gobardhan Oram in Lankahuda village under Sadar police station. Gobardhan’s wife initially gave them rice and Rs 20. The fake babas then threatened Gobardhan’s wife, claiming that a calamity would befall them. When the family members said they could not give gold, the babas allegedly threatened to harm their child. Two more members of the gang later joined them and intensified the threats.
Following the complaint lodged by Gobardhan at Sadar police station, the Superintendent of Police directed the formation of three separate teams. The teams conducted raids at different locations and successfully arrested the five accused.
