Bhubaneswar: In a startling revelation, the Bharatpur police under Bhubaneswar Urban Police District (UPD) have exposed a staged firing and bomb explosion case allegedly masterminded by a local woman in a bid to secure an arms licence.
Police have arrested three persons in this connection and seized a 7.65 mm semi-automatic pistol, one live round of ammunition, a motorcycle, and an auto-rickshaw used in the crime.
The accused have been identified as: Debasis Mohapatra (24) of Saheed Nagar; Santosh Mahakhud (25) of Omkarbasti, Bharatpur; and Chandan Nayak (27) of Bharatpur.
According to the police, the complainant, identified as Ghunguru Mishra of Bharatpur, had reported two separate incidents in September and October 2025 — a bomb explosion outside her residence on September 10 and a firing incident on October 4. Both incidents were reported as attacks by unidentified assailants.
However, during investigation, police discovered that the incidents were fabricated and executed under a conspiracy hatched by the complainant herself.
Mishra, police said, sought to strengthen her case for obtaining a firearm licence by creating an impression of receiving life threats.
As part of the plan, she allegedly roped in her driver, Chandan Nayak alias Nandu, and two associates — Santosh Mahakhud alias Santu and Debasis Mohapatra alias Deba — to carry out the attacks and report them as genuine. The trio reportedly executed the explosions and firing outside Mishra’s residence, ensuring the acts were captured on CCTV to lend credibility to her claims.
During investigation police have found that Debasis arranged the firearm, while Ghunguru Mishra supplied five rounds of ammunition. Santosh and Chandan procured the explosives used in the initial bombing incident.
Both cases — registered earlier under the Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act — have now been linked as part of a larger conspiracy. Police have initiated further verification of the criminal antecedents of the accused.
