9 members of ‘Mahakaal’ gang arrested in Keonjhar, 5 guns & 30 bullets seized; leader had gangster dreams

In a major breakthrough, Keonjhar Police arrested nine inter-state dacoits near the Shiva Temple in Naranpur under the Keonjhar Town police limits. A special team carried out the operation successfully, seizing five firearms and 30 rounds of ammunition from the accused.

According to reports, the gang’s leader, Ganesh Giri, aspired to become a gangster since his childhood and had allegedly formed a group called Mahakaal. He recruited youths from Keonjhar, Jharkhand, Mayurbhanj, and nearby areas. The gang was allegedly involved in a series of criminal activities, including extortion, threats, murder, and dacoity. Ganesh reportedly uploaded videos of his crimes on social media to instil fear among the public.

Tip-Off Leads to Arrest

Police officials were on the lookout for Ganesh and his associates for their alleged involvement in criminal incidents. Acting on a tip-off, Keonjhar Police raided the area near the Naranpur Shiva Temple and nabbed Ganesh Giri along with nine of his gang members, foiling their dacoity plans. 

Reports indicate that Ganesh often travelled with a convoy of around 25 cars and once cut a cake with a sword in the Joda area as a show of intimidation.

Members From Multiple Districts

Ganesh hails from Odisha's Mayurbhanj district and recruited members from the border areas of Mayurbhanj, Jharkhand, and Keonjhar. Among the arrested, two are from Jharkhand, three from Mayurbhanj, and the rest reportedly belong to Keonjhar’s Joda and Barbil regions. The investigation is ongoing, and the accused are set to be forwarded to court on Friday.

Suspected Major Dacoity Plan During Kali Puja

Police suspect that the large cache of guns and bullets was intended for a major dacoity during the upcoming Kali Puja celebrations. The arrest of the Mahakaal gang has brought relief to residents and is being seen as a major success in Keonjhar Police’s continued crackdown on organised crime.

Kusalkar Nitin, Keonjhar SP, said, "They had formed a gang called Mahakaal, 37 cases are registered against them at various police stations in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, and Jharkhand. There may be many more cases that are still undetected and unregistered."

He added further, "They were uploading videos of their crime to social media to intimidate citizens."