Cuttack/Bhubaneswar, March 8: Criminals struck at will in the twin cities in the past 24 hours and brought into question the role of law enforcers in the state. While a contractor was shot at in Cuttack, a trader was attacked with daggers in Bhubaneswar.

Contractor Sunil Jena (47) was rushed to S.C.B. Medical College and Hospital last night after being shot at by two armed assailants near Cuttack’s Sikharpur area. The incident occurred near the Indian Oil depot around 9.50pm.

On the other hand, a criminal was arrested last night from Hanspal village on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar following attack on one Chitrasen Mohanty (35), a mobile shop owner.

The Cuttack incident came within 24 hours of another incident of firing on a contractor in the city. “I was returning home after buying food when two helmet-borne goons came and shot at me,” said Jena who sustained bullet injuries in his thigh. He runs a truck business near Chandikhol.

One person was today detained in connection with the firing which came 24 hours after a similar attack on another contractor Smrutiranjan Behera (20). According to reports, two unidentified goons attacked Behera when he was standing near his house at Dassahi area around 12.30pm on Sunday. Behera has sustained bullet injury in his right palm and thigh.

Sources said a group of criminals attacked Mohanty (35) with daggers when he had resisted their attempt to rob him. They snatched away his gold chain. Police said that Mohanty was going home when three motorcycle-borne youths intercepted him and snatched away his gold chain.

“They wanted to snatch away the money he was carrying on. When Mohanty had opposed them one of them attacked him with a dagger,” said police.

While the villagers captured one of the goons, two others managed to escape. The villagers later handed over the criminal to police. The arrested youth has been identified as Prakash Das from Chandabali area of Bhadrak. Police said the other two youths would be arrested soon.

On February 21, two motorcycle-borne youths had snatched gold chain worth Rs 2 lakh from a woman in front of her house in Nayapalli area. The woman was returning from a marriage party with her family around 11pm.

On February 8, a college student sustained injuries when two criminals had assaulted him in a hostel in Punjabi colony area of Satyanagar. They also took away cash and the student’s laptop.

On January 9, two criminals looted gold ornaments worth Rs 50,000 from a woman in the wee hours at dagger point in the Laxmi Sagar area. Later the goons were arrested.