The two accused at Khandagiri police station in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 29: The prime accused in the Siripur market bombing case of June 26 was arrested last night. He had hurled bombs in the market to terrorise traders, as some of them, including a road contractor, had refused to pay up “protection money” to his gang.

The accused, identified as Makara Maharana, was arrested by the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar police from Athagada in Nayagarh district, along with his associate Pradipta Kumar Nayak.

Maharana, a native of Chandaka, used to stay in Khandagiri, and Nayak, a resident of Dasapalla, was also staying in Bhubaneswar.

Police said the two were absconding after they had lobbed bombs in Siripur market to terrorise a road contractor two months ago. The bomb had fallen on a shoe store in the market and the shopkeeper had sustained injuries.

Since then, the police have been on a look out for the criminal who had several cases against him registered in different police stations in the city and outside twin city area. The police said they had conducted several raids to nab the accused.. “We were tracking his phone calls to locate the area in which he was hiding. We conducted a raid last night acting upon a tip off and he was arrested,” said a police officer.

On the evening of June 26, Maharana and Nayak went to Siripur market on a motorcycle and lobbed a bomb at the shoe store where contractor Ambuja Das used to sit. He was not there on that day and the shop owner Md. Javed Ali sustained injuries. When local residents gathered at the spot and chased the criminals, they lobbed another bomb. The second bomb hurt anyone.

Deputy commissioner of police Nitinjeet Singh said they had hurled bombs to scare the contractor. The accused was found involved in 10 cases in Bhubaneswar and one in Jagatsinghpur. In April, he was arrested for lobbing bombs near Barmunda over-bridge twice within a span of a week.

Later, both the accused were sent to Jharapada special jail after a local court rejected their bail pleas.