Mumbai Crime Branch officials in Berhampur to probe Chhota Rajan link

Berhampur: A team of Odisha Crime Branch along with two officials of Mumbai Crime Branch police today started investigation into the seizure of SIM box through which an aide of underworld criminal Chhota Rajan resorted to extortion from Hong Kong.

The officials from Mumbai visited Gopalpur Police Station and discussed with the officials who had arrested four persons including mastermind of the SIM box crime, Laxmi Narayan Sharoff.

Sharoff along with his associates Pradeep Choudhury, Suresh Kumar Satpathy and Santosh Kumar Sahu was operating the illegal telephone exchange racket in the name of a business house, S. World.

A dreaded gangster of Hong Kong, Suresh Pujari, who is a close associate of Chhota Rajan had demanded Rs 2 crore ransom from a Mumbai-based businessman over phone. The international call was diverted through the SIM box from Berhampur. While tracing the calls, the Mumbai Crime Branch had found the call made from Berhampur.