Gymnast honoured

Bhubaneswar: Ace gymnast and 2016 Rio Olympics sensation Dipa Karmakar arrived in Bhubaneswar on Friday to attend a function organised by Odisha Sports Journalists Association. Dipa was accorded a warm welcome as members of the association escorted her from the airport after presenting her flowers and bouquets. The Tripura girl, who is the first Indian woman gymnast to compete in the Olympic Games missed the bronze.

Haj pilgrims 

Bhubaneswar: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday appreciated the help extended by his Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee to Haj pilgrims from Odisha at the embarkation point in Calcutta. “I would like to place on record my deep gratitude for  the  arrangements,” Naveen wrote to Mamata.

Finance secy

Bhubaneswar: Tuhini Kanta Pande on Friday took over as the principal secretary of the state finance department. Pande is a 1987-batch Odisha cadre IAS officer and was appointed in the finance department after he returned from central deputation.

Rail job racket

Bhubaneswar: Chandrasekharpur police on Friday arrested a senior technician of East Coast Railway in connection with a railway job racket. The accused, Ashok Malik,43, has also directed and produced an Odia movie, Mu Gote Dusta Pila, allegedly through the ill-gotten money. 

Electrocution

Dhenkanal: A truck driver was electrocuted and his vehicle got burnt after coming in contact with a high-tension electric wire in Dhenkanal district on Friday. The deceased, identified as Sudam Rout of Ghodadiyan in Odagaon, died on the spot. The incident took place when the truck was unloading stone chips on the premises of the homoeopathy and ayurvedic district office for construction.

Bike thieves

Bhubaneswar: Bhadrak police recovered three stolen bikes and arrested 3 persons. The accused have been identified as Kanthia Nayak,42, Bharat Behera, 35 and Sheikh Amin, 26.

Arrested

Kendrapara:  Police on Friday took Oscar Plus Two Science College secretary Umesh Sahoo into custody acting on the complaint of guardians of students studying in the college. On Thursday, about 50 guardians gheraoed Sahoo demanding transfer certificates of their wards since teaching in the college has been stopped for over a month.