Sketch by police personnel leads to arrest of notorious criminal in Soro firing and loot case

In a major breakthrough, the Odisha police have arrested a dreaded criminal involved in a recent firing and loot incident in Dayanidhipur village under Soro police limits in Balasore district. The accused, identified as Manoranjan Pani alias Bapi, was apprehended from Bhadrak district following a detailed investigation and manhunt.

Police sources confirmed that the accused was involved in a daring loot where he allegedly fired shots and looted gold ornaments from the victims. During the arrest, the police recovered two country-made pistols, 20 live bullets, and a significant quantity of gold jewellery looted during the crime.

Shockingly, the arrested accused has a long criminal history with 19 cases registered against him in various police stations across the state. These cases range from armed robbery and extortion to attempted murder.

Notably, Bapi was earlier injured in a police encounter, highlighting the severity of his criminal background. His involvement in the Soro loot case has once again brought his name into the spotlight, reaffirming his reputation as a hardened criminal.

How Bapi Was Arrested?

A senior police official informed that around 7 to 8 miscreants had entered the house of one Manjulata Nayak on May 21/22 night through the kitchen window. The miscreants had allegedly assaulted her family members and looted cash and other valuables. Somehow, the victim's family managed to alert their neighbours, who then rushed to the spot.

On seeing being trapped, the miscreants opened fired in which two persons were injured. The condition of the injured persons is now stable.

The police official further informed that a special team was constituted and within 24 hours, the team managed to nab of the key accused involved in the case.

It was initially a sketch prepared by one of the police personnel that gave a vital clue regarding the culprits involved in the crime. The police officer informed that the concerned staff was good at drawing sketches of faces, and from his sketch, we got a vital lead that helped us in the entire investigation.

As the key accused has been arrested, the police officials are confident of nabbing other members of the criminal gang soon.