Bhubaneswar, March 28: The suspended police constable was arrested on Sunday for trying to extort money from a businessman in the Kedargouri area by using the name of a gangster lodged in Jharpada jail.

The constable also told the police that the gangster, Sheikh Hyder, had called the businessman over his mobile phone though the latter did not take the call.

The incident comes as another proof that gangsters have been running their crime empires and masterminding killings even from jails. On November 1, 2009, a warder of Jharpada jail, Manas Nayak was killed by some goons outside the jail on the orders of gangster Bikram Mallick, serving time in the same prison. Investigations revealed that Mallick, who masterminded the killing, had actually planned to eliminate the jailor but later changed his target. The motive was to terrorise the jail staff so that they won’t interfere with what he did inside the prison.

Similarly, the sensational kidnapping and murder of businessman Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra in May 2007 had been mastermind by S.K. Hyder who was then lodged in the Jharpada jail after being arrested in connection with the Chuna murder case.

On April 18, 2010, the owner of Jyote motors had alleged that he was kidnapped by some persons on the instruction of gangster Raja Acharya, who was then in Jharpada jail.

On May 25, 2008, actress Bidusmita Mantri and Leslie Tripathy complained to the police that they had been getting threat calls from Acharya, who was using his mobile phone from inside the Jharpada jail.

In November 2009, the police carried out an early morning raid on Jharpada jail and seized six mobile phones reportedly used by Acharya. The incident of gangster Sheikh Hyder making threat calls and sending letters to a businessman has also raised questions about prison security.

The Lingaraj police registered a case against the accused policeman and the gangster under Sections 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). “We are inquiring the matter to find out the role of the gangster,” said commissioner of police B.K. Sharma.

Sources said 25-year-old Sukanta Moharana, who was serving in the seventh battalion of the Orissa State Armed Police force, was recently put under suspension after the Kharavela Nagar police sent him to the court last December for attacking a builder. During his stay in Jharpada jail, the policeman came in contact with the gangster.

The jail authorities too have started an inquiry into the matter.

“The police have not approached us. I just came to know about the matter from the media. We have started an inquiry to find out whether there is any lacuna,” said Pranabindu Acharya, IG of prisons and director of correctional services, Orissa.

At present, the Jharpada jail houses nearly 540 prisoners including criminals such as Acharya, Hyder and Mallick. Mobile jammers have been fitted inside the jail to block any outgoing mobile telephone calls from the jail.

However, the IG said that the jammer installed in the jail blocks some of the networks, while those with advanced services such as 3G operate. He said proposals had been sent to upgrade the facility to block all networks from inside the jail.