Orissa DGP to probe police-gangster nexus

Bhubaneswar, Apr 16(UNI) Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today asked Director General of Police Gopal Nanda to probe the alleged nexus between the police officials and gangster in the state.

The direction from the chief minister came after Police Commissioner Binaya Behera admitted that some police officials had links with gangster Raja Acharaya, a prime suspect in the murder of child marathon runner Budhia Singh's coach Biranchi Das.

Mr.Behera, who is now personally monitoring the investigation and formed a special investigation team headed by Additional Commissioner of Police Y B Khurania,was very much perturbed as his earlier order to arrest Raja Acharaya was not carried out by the police officer.

Sources said the Commissioner had even intimated this to the Director General of Police indicating some nexus between the police officials and the gangster, including Raja Acharaya.

Mr.Behera made the sensational disclosure of the nexus between the police and gangster after he met Mr Patnaik yesterday to apprise him of the progress of the investigation into Judo coach Biranchi Das's murder case.

A sub-inspector of Mancheswar police station had already been placed under suspension for his alleged link with the illegal railway scrap mafia. The sub-inspector allegedly released three truck load of railway scrap from the Mancheswar Railway Yard last Sunday.

The police have so far failed to nab the culprits involved in the murder of the coach despite several raids on the hideouts of gangster Raja Acharaya in the past three days.

Official sources said the DGP had been asked to submit his report at the earliest on the possible nexus between the police officials and the gangster.

The Police Commissioner had already hinted that the police officials would be treated as criminals and action initiated accordingly if their nexus with the gangster was known in the course of investigation.

UNI DP PL DB1607