Bhubaneswar: In a major breakthrough, Paradip police managed to nab notorious criminal Ashok Bihari alias Kadir Khan for his alleged involvement in the murder of Seaways General Manager Mahendra Swain.
A special team arrested Bihari from a hideout at Tilkhana slum in Howraha.
Police sources said, Ashok Bihari was staying in West Bengal by concealing his identity. He will be produced before the local court and would be brought to Odisha on a transit remand shortly.
Sources said, Bihari was one of the key accused in the conspiracy behind the brutal murder of Seaways General Manager Mahendra Swain over business rivalry arising out from stevedoring at Paradip port in 2016.
Unidentified miscreants had shot Swain from a close range at Madhuban area near Central School while he was on his way to office on October, 26 last year.
Also Read: Seaways GM Murder: Mahima Mishra, Aide Arrested In Thailand
Later, over five persons including Odisha Stevedores Limitied (OSL) MD and businessman Mahimananda Mishra were arrested in connection with the sensational murder case.
Mishra and his close aide Basant Bal were arrested from Thailand in December last year.
Ashok Bihari’s arrest assumes significance as he had hired the contract killers after getting instructions from Rakesh Choubey of Jamshedpur, who was also arrested by police in connection with the murder case.
It is suspected that Bihari was also involved in a number of loot and dacoity cases in Odisha and was absconding after the murder of Seaways General Manager Mahendra Swai.
A special team of Paradip police was tracking the movement of Bihari for the last 15 days and was successful in arresting him today.