Orissa police busts higheway robber gang

Jajpur (Orissa), Jan 24 (PTI) The police today busted agang of robbers who used to steal trucks after beating theirstaff up on highways in Orissa.

With this the police arrested seven of the gang memberswhile two others are absconding. The police claimed that thegang had been involved in stealing many trucks in the recentpast from various parts of the Jajpur district on highway.

The police also recovered a stolen truck and a country-made revolver from their possession.

According to the police, the two accused areidentified as Jayprakash Das alias Sethy (26) of Balichandrapur and his accomplice Nirodh Kumar Das (51) of Jajpur Road.

The kingpin was residing in his rented house at Chhatia forthe last couple of years, they added.

Speaking about their modus-operandi, a police officersaid that the accused used to steal the truck in a group onnational highways in the district.

"On Friday night, a truck was intercepted by therobbers'' near Barachana on national highway no-5 while it wason its way to Cuttack. The armed robbers suddenly startedbeating the driver of the vehicle. Then they tied up driverand his helper and looted the truck," said Prasanta KumarMajhi, inspector-in-charge, Barachana police station.

The arrested persons have confessed to the crime andinvolved in many truck robberies, police said.