Cuttack: When a team from Jagatpur police station left for Dihasahi after a tip-off at 4.45am on Saturday that three criminals were planning "to commit a crime", little did they know that they were up against the perpetrators of a than two-month-old loot case.

On February 2, liquor shop owner Kalandi Behera of Nazarpur was returning home after closing his outlet. In his complaint on February 3, Behera said a person kicked his vehicle from behind at Dihasahigada. After he fell, they looted him of Rs 47,000 at gunpoint. They also took away his gold rings, mobile phone and motorcycle keys. The police had drawn a blank since then.

But Saturday's arrest and subsequent interrogations revealed that Behera was linked to the crime. The police said when the team led by sub-inspector D.K.M. Bhuyan reached the spot, two persons fled. The third person who fell in the police net was identified as Manoj Kumar Baral of Paikerapur.

Cuttack deputy commissioner of police Akhileswar Singh said: "Baral said he and his associates Bagua of Jagatpur and other persons (unknown), had robbed the liquor shop owner."