Cuttack: The sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM), Cuttack, will frame charges on Monday against gangster siblings - Sushant Dhal Samant and Sushil Dhal Samant, who are accused of dealing in illegal arms.
The SDJM fixed the day for framing charges while rejecting on Friday the discharge petitions the duo had filed in connection with three cases registered against them under section 25 (1B) of the Arms Act.
Of the three cases, two were registered at Chauliaganj police station and one at Manglabag police station. In the cases, Sangram Routray, Bharat Bhusan Swain, Ramachandra Das and Sulekh Sahu had been named as co-accused. They were alleged associates of the siblings and firearms, along with ammunition, were seized from their possession during arrest.
The siblings had filed discharge petitions in connection with the three cases on the ground of lack of prima facie case against them. It was further pleaded on behalf of them that they were not involved in any of the three cases alleged.
"However, Cuttack SDJM Bijay Kumar Das rejected the discharge petitions taking note of the charge sheet that had already been submitted in the cases and the statements of the four co-accused persons," assistant public prosecutor Biswajit Baral said.
"In their statements, all co-accused had gone on record stating that the firearms and ammunition seized from them were provided by the Dhal Samant brothers for collecting dada bati (extortion) and tender fixing," Baral said.
Police said when Sangram Routray was arrested, a mauzer pistol and six rounds of live bullets were seized from his possession. Similarly, the police had recovered Rs 12.44 lakh cash, four mauzers, 160 rounds of live bullets when Rama Das and Bharat Bhusan Swain were nabbed. When Manglabag police had arrested Sulekh Sahu, three firearms, including a mauzer, a single barrel and a double shot gun, were seized from his house, along with 11 rounds of ammunition.
The police sezied four mauzer pistols with 127 live bullets, a carbine, a double barrel gun, along with 22 ammunition, a day after their arrest on January 29, 2015, during a raid at their house.
