Berhampur: The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Crime Branch takes over probe into seizure of SIM box in Berhampur in which four persons were arrested on Saturday for alleged link-ups with underworld don Chotta Rajan.
In a tweet message, Crime Branch Special DGP BK Sharma said a team of officials of STF and EOW, including cyber investigators led by an additional SP have been sent to Gopalpur to investigate the case.
Sharma added, “The FIR filed alleges that the illegal telephone exchange was facilitating international calls and had linkages with organized criminal groups.”
He further said a plea will be moved in a local court seeking remand of the four accused to further the investigation.
The four were held by the Gopalpur police after an extortion call to a Mumbai-based realtor was traced to a SIM box in possession of the arrested persons.
In Berhampur, the four accused were running a business in guidance of Delhi and Ahmedabad-based agencies under the aegis ‘S-World’ while using the five SIM boxes, which have been seized by the police.
When Suresh Pujhari, an aide of Chotta Rajan, called up the Mumbai-based realtor and asked for Rs 2 crore extortion money, the Mumbai Crime Branch took up the case and came to know during an investigation that the call was made from one of the five SIM boxes seized from the four arrested persons in Berhampur.
This is first time in the State that a SIM box has been used to make extortion calls.