Cuttack: Henchmen of gangster siblings Sushant Dhal Samant, 46, and Sushil Dhal Samant, 43 have accused of terrorising a key prosecution witness in the Manoj Mallick and Om Prakash Swain kidnapping and murder case.

Police said the gangster siblings and 12 others were facing trial for murder, abduction, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy.

The police had on Tuesday arrested five persons on charges of issuing threats to key witness and Manoj's father Adwaita Mallick.

The trial court judge had framed separate charges in the two cases. However, he had been recording evidence of witnesses as well as conducting single trial for the two cases as the accused, place, time of occurrence and disposal of bodies were same according to the charge sheets.

Cops said that the Chauliaganj police station had received a written complaint from Saroj Mallick, brother of Manoj, alleging that threats were being issued to his father Adwaita asking him not to turn up as a witness in the case.

Saroj said that as his father did not pay heed to the threats, they were threatened with dire consequences while returning from the court after appearing as witness in the case for the prosecution on Monday.

Adwaita is the most vital witness in the kidnapping and murder of Manoj. The police said that the five arrested had confessed to the crime.

"They have confessed to have terrorised Manoj's brother and father with dire consequence at the instigation of Bhajana alias Sanjaya Kumar Sahoo," deputy commissioner of police Akhileswar Singh said.

Bhajana, who is now in Choudwar jail, is one of the 12 associates of the Dhal Samant brothers facing trial along with the gangster siblings in the kidnapping and murder case.

Those who have been arrested so far include Bhajana's elder brother Madan Mohan Sahoo, Alok Prusty, Santosh Behera, Balaram Barik of Thatari Sahi in Chauliaganj police limits and Sashikant Khandei of Kaligali in Lalbag police limits.

"A special police team is on the hunt to nab all those involved in the kidnapping and murder case," Singh said.

The trial in the Manoj Mallick and Om Prakash Swain kidnapping and murder case had started with the prosecution presenting its first witness on April 11.

The examination and cross-examination of the first witness Shantilata Mallick - the mother of Manoj - have been completed.

Adwaita is the second witness that the prosecution presented on Monday. His examination and cross-examination have not been completed.