Puri: The police, who have cracked down on illegal weapons following the murder of a servitor at the Loknath Temple in Odisha’s Puri, on Saturday arrested seven persons on charges of possessing illegal firearms.
Four country-made pistols and four live bullets were seized from them. The arrested have been identified as Ratikanta Parida, Bikram Panda, Ashok Sahu, Rudra Prasad Rout, Harishchandra Prusty, Lokanath Das and Ranjit Kumar Mohanty.
The drive against illegal firearms on Saturday was carried out by Puri Sadar police, Town police and Baliapanda police. Simultaneously, the police said a probe was on to arrest the kingpin supplying illegal firearms to Puri and find out the supply routes.
Puri SP Kanwar Vishal Singh said that 16 illegal firearms have been seized from Puri so far this year.
The drive against illegal arms was launched after 21-year-old Sibaram Patra, a servitor at the Loknath Temple, was shot dead near the site of the Emar Mutt, close to the Jagannath Temple main gate, by another servitor identified as Chandan Barik on May 24 night. A country-made gun was seized from him.
Patra was riding a bike when Barik allegedly fired at him. Patra was hit in the head and chest by two bullets.
