Puri: Puri police has detained three persons in connection with the firing at Patanaikia chhak on Puri-Bhubaneswar National Highway on June 10, which left a man dead and a woman grievously injured.
Manoranjan Behera and his relative Renubala were going on a bike to Puri when the incident occurred at Patanaikia square on the Puri-Bhubaneswar national highway.
According to sources, the police have seized a pistol and bike used in the crime.
Among the three detained, one has been identified as Manoj Sahu, the prime accused in the firing incident. He is a resident of Uttara Laxminaraynpur of Puri district.
Puri SP Sarthak Sarangi said that a gang was active in the area and had committed such crimes before. On the same day, other members of the gang had attacked a car near Adaspur area in Niali.
The accused had come from canal road to avoid being captured on CCTV, police said.
Meanwhile, the police is searching for other two members of the gang and trying to establish the exact motive behind the firing.
It may be recalled here that two bike-borne assailants had shot Manoranjan dead and robbed Renubala of her ornaments in broad daylight near Patanaikia chhak on Bhubaneswar-Puri national highway on June 10 while they were on their way to Puri.