Bhubaneswar: A retired Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), who would allegedly stalk and loot lone travellers, have been arrested along with his associate, Bhubaneswar DCP Umashankar Dash informed on Friday.
The accused have been identified as Gyanaranjan Mohanty (60) and Kanhu Charan Sahu (58). Gyanaranjan earlier worked as an ASI with the Signals Branch of the Odisha Police, the DCP said.
They were apprehended on the basis of a complaint lodged by a youth from whom they had extorted Rs 8,000 on February 10 after threatening to get him arrested by identifying themselves as officials of the special squad.
“The accused intercepted the youth and threatened to register a case against him. They extorted the money on the pretext of dropping his name from the case,” said Dash.
The incident took place under the Lingaraj police station limits. The duo has confessed to their involvement in one case, he said.
Police, however, suspect that they might have looted other pedestrians in a similar fashion.
The DCP has appealed to people to come forward and lodge complaints if they have been victims of tricksters.
