Bhubaneswar: The Special Task Force (STF) of the Crime Branch here is on the hunt for a woman allegedly involvement in illegal stone mining racket in Odisha’s Khurda district.
According to the available information, this middle-aged woman with 20 to 25 members of the Tito gang is ruling the roost in all stone mining areas in Khurda and some in Cuttack district.
She provides monthly remuneration, arms and motorcycles to the gang members and has been able to run the racket because of alleged political patronage, the sources said.
The STF has prepared a blueprint with a list of 20 gang members, who belong to Khurda, Tangi, Jankia, Kendrapara and Bhubaneswar. They allegedly threatened local businessmen.
Talking to the media here on Monday, SP, Crime Branch STF, Rahul PR said Nitu Mansingh was apprehended from Bolagarh in Khurda district and efforts are on to nab other members of the gang.
The STF had got to know the whereabouts of Mansingh following interrogation of a driver, who was arrested during the earlier encounter with a stone mafia gang near LIC ground in Khurda on the night of June 30.
While gang leader Sanjay Pradhan and his associates had managed to escape, the driver of the car used by Pradhan was arrested.
