Kendrapada, Nov 28 (Odisha.in) At least four criminals belonging to notorious gang leader, Usman Ali alias Tito hurled four bombs and fired gun shots on Tuesday night at the Rajashree hotel at Old bus-stand within Kendrapada town.
No body was injured. But, the hotel was partially damaged. Last week, members of Tito gang demanded five lakh from the hotel owner, Pranab Mohapatra.
But, he refused to pay them the huge demand for which the gang members attacked the hotel, said Santun Dash the Officer-in-Charge of Kendrapada police station.
The hotel owner was not present at the time of the attack for which he was not hurt.
All the four criminals came in two motorbikes and hurled bombs and opened fire in the presence of many people in a crowded area of Kendrapada town.
On last Monday, the police arrested Asafak Ali alias Ji Babu, the younger brother of Tito on the charges of demanding five lakh from the owner, added the police officer.
Tito had been arrested two years back from Kolkota and since his arrest he has been languishing in Jail in Bhubenswer. But, the gang members of Tito have been forcefully collecting money from the contractors and businessmen.
But few people dared to file FIR against the gang members. Two years back, members of Tito gang shot dead a contractor, Pradeep Parida at Kendrapada when he refused to give five lakhs to the members of Tito gang for which Kendrapada town was under the curfew for a week and Kendrapada witnessed large-scale violence.
Palpable tension mounted in Kendrapada town on Tuesday night and Wednesday after this incident.
Many shopkeepers shut down their shops in protest against the attack at a hotel. District Superintend of Police, Dipteshu Pattananik was on leave. But, he rushed to Kendrapada on Tuesday night after this incident.
Security has been beefed up in Kendrapada town and its nearby areas. Fifteen platoons of police have been deployed in sensitive places to check any untoward incident.
IG (Central) , Santosh Kumar Upadhaya also rushed to Kendrapada along with police force on Tuesday night.
Police raided several hideouts of the gang members to arrest them. But they are absconding for which the police have failed to nab them, said the police officer.
Sundry political leaders and associations of businessmen demanded strong action against the gang members.
They alleged police are not taking action against the gang members as a result; the law and order situation reached its nadir in Kendrapada.
Saroj Raj Singh the president of Kendrapada Citizen’s Forum demanded arrest of all the criminals. He has also alleged the police in a clear nexus with the gang members are not arresting them.
Some gang members have also nexus with some ruling party leaders. Kendrapada MLA, and the president of district NCP, Utkal Keshari Parida, Congress leader, Jayanta Mohanty have demanded strong actions against the gang members.
Odisha.in