Dama Rout Dismisses Bapu Parida’s Arrest As Conspiracy

Bhubaneswar: A couple of hours after the arrest of Paradip Nirakar Dumper Association president Bapu Parida for his alleged links with gangster Tito, senior BJD leader Damodar Rout on Saturday questioned the ongoing Crime Branch probe.

“A conspiracy has been hatched against Bapu to prevent him from deposing as a witness in a murder case. He has no links with the gangster. He has not even met him once,” Damodar said.

According to police sources, more than 28 cases are pending against Babu at different police stations in the state.

The STF had interrogated Bapu several times in the past for his alleged involvement in expanding Tito’s crime network.

As many as 14 persons have so far been arrested for their alleged links with the gangster and criminal activities.

On Friday, Bhabani Shankar Sahoo alias Babu Sahoo, a close associate of Tito, was sent to Barimul jail after the Kendrapara SDJM court rejected his bail plea.

He was arrested during an encounter with police on Ichhapur-Chagaria Road in Kendrapara district on July 24.

A joint team of the special squad and personnel of the Town police station intercepted Babu at around 3.45 am while he was returning from Kendrapada bazaar to his house at Madhial. Sahoo sustained bullet injuries in his right leg during the encounter and was rushed to the district headquarters hospital. He was later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack after his condition deteriorated.

As a part of the ongoing probe into the alleged nexus between some government officials and Tito, the vigilance sleuths had raided Kendrapara Municipality, Sub-Registrar, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) and Roads & Building offices and a branch of IDBI Bank here the same day.

Following simultaneous raids, the anti-corruption officials verified and seized several official documents and papers.

On Wednesday, similar raids were also conducted on seven government offices in Kendrapara district. Several documents were seized during the raid on RTO offices in Cuttack, Chandikhol and Kendrapara, Derabish and Garadpur tehsil offices, Supply office and the Kendrapara Municipal office.

The move came after the vigilance department came to know about some officials extending undue favours to the gangster.