Cuttack, Sept. 18: Police have decided to intensify their ongoing drive against criminals involved in extortion from

private buses.

Cuttack deputy commissioner of police Akhileswar Singh told The Telegraph that there would be no let-up in their bid to check the racket that has been operating in the Badambadi bus stand area.

Over 1,000 buses from across the state and city move in and out of the Badambadi bus stand every day, most of which were regularly exploited for extortion money.

An organised system of supervisors stationed in the bus stand area thrived under the patronage of local goons, who saw it as a potential money-spinning racket. Despite several complaints, the police were not able to intervene as the Cuttack Private Bus Owners' Association promoted the practice over the years.

The cops, however, moved in when association secretary Ajay Barik banned the supervisor system in the bus stand area this July. Since then, there have been six bombings, the last one on September 12.

In all six instances, the intended targets were residential premises or business premises of association members who had initiated the ban on the supervisor system.

'Several criminals involved in the racket have been already nabbed. More will follow once we intensify the raids as part of the ongoing drive to flush them out,' Singh said. As part of the ongoing exercise, the cops raided Badambadi-Sankarpur area and nabbed 24 criminals suspected to have been involved with extortion in the past two months.

'The drive will continue till the bus stand area is freed from the nuisance,' Singh said.

Police officers said nearly 100 criminals, under the guise of supervisors, spread out over the bus stand area, forced vehicles to shell out money to facilitate smooth movement in and out of the terminus. The amount reportedly varied between Rs 3,000 and Rs 10,000, depending on the distance of journey and number of trips in a day and in a month.

But the series of bombings that has ensued in the area since the ban was imposed has kept the cops on their toes. The goons first targeted the house of Barik, who is also deputy mayor of Cuttack, on the night of July 19.

Two bombings were reported from near two hotels on the nights of August 13 and August 20. The hotel owners were also members of the association who supported the ban. The three other bombings took place close to the bus stand near Jayshree Cinema Hall at Badambadi on August 28, September 5 and September 12. These bombings were reportedly intended to terrorise a bus owner and member of the association who supported the ban.

Barik said: 'The extortion racket thriving in the guise of the supervisor system has to be weeded out at any cost as it's a hitch for bus operators.'