Cuttack: Police have busted a laterite stone extraction racket operating at Choudwar with the arrest of three persons.

During night patrolling on Saturday, Choudwar police station sub-inspector Prahallad Parida saw that a group of men were cutting laterite stones from a government land at Haripur. He immediately chased and arrested them. A stone cutting machine, some cut stones and two motorcycles were seized from their possession.

The arrested were identified as Rakesh Kumar Sahoo, 39, of Badsamantarapur, Bishnu Charan Parida, 36, of Banipada (both in Choudwar police station area in Cuttack district) and Satyajit Bhuyan, 27, of Satpana in Bairi police station area in Jajpur district.

Deputy police commissioner Akhileswar Singh said that Sahoo disclosed during investigation that he was the owner of the power tiller and he had engaged Parida as its driver.

"He also said that they, along with Laxmidhar Sarkar, Pupumi Bhuyan, Santa Bhuyan and others, were cutting laterite stones from Haripur Sangiri Sahi area and selling the same by engaging trucks," Singh said.

Cases were registered against them at Jagatpur police station on Sunday under Section 379 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code, and relevant sections of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act and the Odisha Minor Minerals Concession Rules.

An investigation is on to ascertain the antecedents of the arrested persons and trace other persons named by the accused as involved in the racket.