Police busts bike lifter racket

Puri, Jan 20 (UNI) The Puri police today busted a major bike lifter's racket and arrested 16 people in the connection from the district.

Puri Superintendent of Police Asit Kumar Panigrahi told news persons here today that a special team of police officers from various police stations have been brought together to control the rakcet, following a spurt in bike thefts in the city.

The police, he said, had raided houses of several suspected persons in Brahmagrir, Puri Sadar, Satyabadi and Town area and recovered 13 new bikes of various make and models.

The racketeer's kingpin Sandip Mohanty of Balipatana were among those arrested. One Pradip Parida, a local youth was also arrested as he was found marketing the stolen bikes.

While 13 were arrested for bike stealing, three others were arrested for robbery and bike snatching on the new Jagannath sadak connecting Puri to Rameswar.

All the 16 people were being interrogated by the police, the SP said.

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