Bhubaneswar, April 2 – The Special Crime Unit (SCU) of the Commissionerate Police arrested a notorious criminal involved in the illegal firearms trade in Bhubaneswar and surrounding areas on Thursday.
Acting on a coordinated intelligence tip-off, the SCU launched a surveillance operation targeting illegal arms trafficking.
Subsequently, the police carried out a late-night raid on Wednesday and apprehended Amaresh Rout, also known as Kahna, from Sundarapada, under the Airfield police jurisdiction of the city.
The accused was later interrogated to gather further details about the gun-running network.
Speaking to the media, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Manas Kumar Swain said that Kahna worked at a finance company, but the source of the firearms remains unclear.
During the raid, the police also seized two semi-automatic pistols, ten rounds of live ammunition, two magazines, a mobile phone, and a two-wheeler.
“This successful operation underscores our unwavering commitment to eradicating the illegal firearms trade in Bhubaneswar. The confiscation of a significant cache of weapons and the apprehension of key suspects mark important progress in our ongoing efforts to protect the community. We remain resolute in our mission to dismantle criminal networks and hold perpetrators accountable,” claimed the Commissionerate police in an official press statement.
The police also revealed that Kahna was a co-accused in the sensational Jharaphula murder case, which occurred about five years ago.
Notably, in January 2021, Ramadevi University student Jharaphula Nayak, along with her boyfriend and main accused Rakesh Swain, went to an OYO guest house in Bhubaneswar, where she was murdered.
Rakesh and his relative Shakti Shekhar later dumped her body in Jajpur district.
During the investigation, the police found that Kahna had allegedly booked the OYO room as part of the planned crime.
He was later arrested by the Jajpur police.
After spending some time in jail, he was released on bail and later returned to criminal activities.
