Bhubaneswar, Aug. 27: A series of shooting incidents here in the past one month have emerged as a major concern for citizens and police.

The incidents have again exposed the ease with which criminals are getting firearms.

A criminal shot at one Biswa Ranjan Swain near Sijua on August 20 when the latter tried to nab the goon for snatching a gold chain from his wife. In another incident, the police found two empty bullet shells from Nayapalli overbridge on August 21. Similarly on July 20, one Manoranjan Behera had suffered bullet injuries after being shot at near Lakshmi Sagar.

The police said most of these guns were smuggled from Bihar and Jharkhand and supplied to criminals through middlemen. Sources in the police said country pistols, revolvers and foreign-made revolvers were up for grabs at prices ranging between Rs 5,000 and Rs 70,000. Sources said middlemen delivered the guns to the criminals within a week of an order being placed.

Statistics available with the police also revealed seizure of 18 firearms in Bhubaneswar in 2012, while the number of seizure increased to 34 in 2016.

According to police records, 49 cases of shooting had taken place in the city between 2012 and 2016. Similarly, the cops had also seized 318 live ammunitions during the same period.

"Earlier, professional criminals used firearms. Of late, the petty criminals, too, have access to firearms. The snatchers are even not reluctant to open fire at innocent victims. The easy availability of guns has become a threat for the city residents," said local resident Amiya Panigrahi.

The police today arrested Bismay Moharana, 22, in connection with a firing incident near Bomikhal area under Lakshmi Sagar police limits on July 20. Moharana, along with his associate, had allegedly shot 25-year-old Manoranjan Behera. Investigations had revealed that the bullet was fired accidentally. Both the accused had also rushed the victim to a private hospital at Saheed Nagar based private hospital.

Moharana had escaped when Bismay's condition had deteriorated. The police had also seized the accused's car from the hospital's parking lot.

Deputy commissioner of police, Bhubaneswar, Satyabrata Bhoi said they had been trying to nab the criminals acting on the informers' tip-off.

"We will bring the accused, arrested in the Sijua firing incident, on remand to ascertain the source of procurement of firearms. Besides, we are trying to identify the middlemen involved in illegal trade of guns," Bhoi said.