The seized motorcycles outside Airfielf police station. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, April 22: Airfield police last night arrested five persons, including an engineering dropout, from the city for shooting at a businessman on the night of April 17. Another accused is absconding.

The police have seized two motorcycles and four mobile phones from those arrested. However, they are yet to get hold of the pistol used in the assault. A senior police officer said the firearm was with the accused, who is still at large.

Dipak Pradhan, a businessman, was injured when two goons fired at him around 9pm on April 17 when he was returning to his Panchupali home from his shop at Retang on the city outskirts. Pradhan said the accused stopped him to ask an address and then shot at him.

Deputy commissioner of police Nitinjeet Singh said old enmity between two groups at their village was the cause of the firing. Some small-time hoodlums had been given a contract to fire at Pradhan. The businessman is being treated at a private city hospital.

The victim’s brother, Bipin Bihari Pradhan, had lodged a complaint with Airfield police. The police registered a case and arrested the accused five days after the incident.

The accused were identified as Ranjit Champati, 22, Satyapriya Biswal, 22, Manmath Baral, 24, Ashok Mohapatra, 23, and Mehadev Mandal, 21. Champati and Biswal hailed from Panchupali, where Panda’s house is localte as well. The other three were residents of Khandagiri. Mandal is an engineering dropout while the one absconding is an engineering student.

“The victim had enmity with Champati and Biswal and these two had planned to eliminate him. They had given contract of Rs 30,000 to Mandal and his friend, who is currently absconding, to shoot Pradhan,” said Singh. Mohaptra had planned the operation and Baral provided his motorcycle to carry out the crime.

The arrested five have been booked for attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy. They were also booked under the Arms Act. They were all sent to Jharapada jail after their bail pleas were rejected by a local court here today.

“There are small groups at these villages in the city outskirts. The formation of such groups among the youths for various reasons cause such crimes,” said Singh, adding that in this case, the victim’s father was a former sarpanch of their area and they had old rivalry. This is why these youths wanted to kill Pradhan.

“As the family members co-operated with us, we could crack the case within a few days unlike the Mancheswar shootout where the prime accused have not yet been arrested even nine days after the incident because of the victim’s non- cooperation,” said a senior police officer.