Rourkela: Police on Friday detained three persons, including a reputed businessman, in connection with the bomb attack on former councillor Asesh Mohanty in the Steel City the previous night.
Earlier in the day, a bomb disposal squad had executed controlled detonation of one of the live bomb hurled on the former councillor Asesh Mohanty while he was returning home in a two-wheeler from his office around 9 pm.
The incident took place near Basanti Colony at Uditnagar here. The miscreants resorted to blank firing after he fell o
ff the vehicle and fled the spot, sources said.
Mohanty, who sustained critical injuries in the attack, was immediately rushed to Ispat General Hospital (IGH).
Briefing mediapersons, SP K Shiva Subramani said, “Bottle bomb, which is a low-improvised explosive device, was used in the attack.”
The three suspects were apprehended after preliminary investigation, he said, attributing the attack to a possible personal rivalry.
According to sources, the businessman was the mastermind behind the attack and had reportedly given a contract of Rs 20 lakh to the other two suspects to eliminate Mohanty.
In 2010, the former councillor had a close shave after being attacked in a similar fashion over business enmity.
A few years back, he was arrested by the Crime Branch for his alleged links with dreaded gangsters Sushil Dhal Samant and Sushant Dhal Samant.