Bhubaneswar, Jan 28: Police on late Tuesday night arrested four men for allegedly impersonating police officers and extorting money from unsuspecting residents at Palam Chhak under the jurisdiction of Model Police Station Kesinga in Kalahandi district. The arrests have brought relief to locals who had been living in fear due to repeated night-time harassment.

The accused have been identified as Ashish Majhi, Naresh Harijan, Gopal Harijan and Ajit Sahu, all residents of M. Rampur area in Kalahandi. Acting on specific intelligence, police laid a trap and nabbed the suspects while they were allegedly attempting to extort money.

Kalahandi SDPO Sandeep Majhi said the gang had been involved in similar criminal activities for a long period. “They used to roam late at night, posing as police personnel, stopping people and threatening them to extort money,” he said.

During the operation, police seized the vehicle used by the accused, which was fitted with red and blue flashing LED lights and a siren to resemble a police patrol vehicle. Iron rods and grenades were also recovered from their possession, raising serious security concerns.

Further investigation is underway to ascertain their involvement in other cases and the source of the seized materials.

Powered by Froala Editor