Ramesh Jena link: Police takes Santosh Behera on 5-day remand

Berhampur: Police on Sunday took Santosh Behera on a five-day remand for further interrogation for his alleged link with former Congress MLA Ramesh Jena.

According to police sources, Behera will be interrogated about the illegal gun trade during the remand period.

Police had prayed the Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court to take Behera on a seven-day remand. However, the court allowed the police to take Behera on a five-day remand.

Police had produced R Murali Mohan, corporator of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Ramesh’s father Arakhita Jena before the SDJM court yesterday. As the police did not pray for their further remand, the court later remanded the duo to jail.

Meanwhile, acting on statement of Behera, Berhampur police has formed two teams and sent them outside the district to elicit more information on the crime network of the former Congress legislator of Sanakhemundi.

Notably, Behera, a close aide of Jena, was arrested on March 14 by a team of Mancheswar police from near Kuakhai river bank in Bhubaneswar where he along with four of his associates had assembled to plot a crime in the capital city.

A loaded mouser with five rounds of ammunition, a sharp weapon and a Pulsar motorcycle were seized from their possession.