Bhubaneswar: Bharatpur Police on Wednesday arrested Deepak Kumar Behera, alias Dipu, in connection with an extortion and assault case near IMS and SUM Hospital in Bhubaneswar.
The arrest brings to light a dramatic sequence of events where the accused allegedly targeted a local shopkeeper amid the immediate chaos of a high-speed vehicle crash. The incident took on the evening of October 13, right outside the hospital’s emergency ward.
According to police, a reckless SUV plowed into pedestrians and two-wheelers, sparking immediate panic and drawing an agitated crowd that apprehended the driver. Taking advantage of the ensuing confusion, Dipu and his associates, identified as Lutu Behera, Raja Behera, and others, confronted Salim Samantaray, the owner of the nearby “Yo Burger” shop. Samantaray, who on his scooter and had narrowly escaped being struck during the accident, was allegedly brutally attacked by the group for refusing to yield to their demands for protection money.
The assault left Samantaray with a dislocated left shoulder. A police team eventually intervened, rescuing the victim and rushing him to SUM Hospital with the help of local bystanders.
Police revealed that Dipu and his associates had been regularly shaking down the shopkeeper for extortion money to allow his business to operate. Following Samantaray’s formal complaint, police registered a case and took Dipu into custody. During interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime, and records revealed he has a prior criminal history linked to a 2020 case at Khandagiri police station.
Speeding SUV Rams Into Multiple Vehicles
Meanwhile, the driver of the SUV involved in the high-speed accident near the dental clinic of SUM Hospital, which left one person dead and three others seriously injured, have also been arrested. The accused has been identified as Bapujee Biswabandan Biswal (27) alias Bubun, a native of Bhadrak district, currently residing at Kalinga Nagar.
According to the police press release based on a complaint filed by Roshanjyoti Barik, the incident occurred at around 8:30 pm. The victim, Manas Kumar Barik (the complainant’s paternal uncle, hailing from Tigiria in Cuttack district), was returning home on his scooty. Near the SUM Hospital dental clinic, a black SUV coming from behind at a reckless and high-speed rammed into his scooty.
Following the initial impact, the driver attempted to flee the scene, recklessly crashing into another scooty and two other individuals along the way. In total, four people sustained grievous injuries in the chain of collisions.
Local residents rushed to the aid of the victims, promptly shifting all four injured individuals to SUM Hospital. Attending doctors declared Manas Kumar Barik dead upon arrival, while the other three injured victims remain under medical care.
Enraged by the dangerous driving, locals managed to intercept and overpower the driver, at the spot and handed him over to the responding police team.
Bharatpur Police have seized the vehicle involved in the crash, along with three other vehicles involved in the accident from the scene.
Preliminary testing using a breath analyser returned a negative result for drunk driving. However, to ensure a thorough and accurate investigation, the accused driver’s blood samples have been collected and sent to the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL) for detailed analysis. A case has been registered under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the release added.