Plot To Eliminate Bhubaneswar Businessman Unravelled, Mastermind Arrested

Bhubaneswar: The Twin City Commissionerate Police on Monday claimed to have solved the alleged contract killing plot to eliminate a businessman of Nayapalli in Odisha capital last month with the arrest of the mastermind.

The arrested has been identified as Rajendra Mallick.

Bhubaneswar DCP Umashankar Dash told the media that Rajendra had met Prashant Das and Sampad Sahu, whom police had arrested on November 26 in connection with the case, at Choudwar jail in 2008 and later sought their help to eliminate a businessman since he was not returning Rs 30,000 borrowed amount.

“They reached Nayapalli in a car and a two-wheeler. Prashant stood near the parked car and Sampad and Rajendra went to a liquor outlet on a two-wheeler to inquire about the businessman. Our team managed to nab Sampad near the nursing home. Prashant was arrested later,” said Dash.

The DCP further said that Rs 5 lakh cash, 20 mobile phones, 50 ATM cards, swapping machine, 4 laptops, Press identity cards, rubber stamps and letter pad of Capital Hospital have been recovered from Rajendra’s house. Several documents were also seized.

He informed that Rajendra was earlier arrested by the Delhi Police in December 2020 for allegedly duping over 20 aspirants by opening a fake website in the name of GMR company. “He seems to have been using forged documents to create fake identities. He had also opened over 100 Facebook and Gmail IDs, websites and youtube channels,” he added.

“His co-accused in the job fraud case, Santosh Panda, has been absconding. On contacting Delhi police, it was revealed that he had used the picture of Sampad Sahu to create the identity of Santosh Panda. We have sought more information. A separate case will be registered in connection with the fake documents and ATM card recovery case,” Dash added.