Cuttack: Police arrested three persons on Friday night in the middle of an attempt to loot a jewellery store at Nayasarak here.

The arrested trio are Sambit Pradhan, 26, of Dhanagharapada in Sadar police limits, Ananda Saha, 34, and Dilip Das, 35, of Samanta Sahi and Telenga Bazar in Purighat police limits. The cops also recovered a 9mm country-made pistol, a magazine and with two 9mm rounds, a dagger, two mobile phones and a scooter with no registration number.

Acting on a tip-off that some criminals had assembled at Gopal Jew Lane in Choudhury Bazar, a police team raided the place and apprehended three persons while two others escaped on a motorcycle.

"We arrested the three as they were gathered with firearms and ammunition without any licence or authority and were preparing to loot a shop in the locality," Cuttack deputy commissioner of police Akhileswar Singh said.

"During interrogation, the accused confessed that they had assembled to prepare to loot a jewellery shop at Nayasarak," Singh said.

All three were booked under sections 399 (preparation for committing dacoity) and 402 ( assembling for committing dacoity) and sections of the Arms Act for illegal possession of firearms. The police are on the lookout for the other two.

Two dead

Two youths were killed after a car hit their motorcycle at Similipur High School Square in Banki police limits in Cuttack district on Friday night. The deceased are Subash Behera and Rohit Behera of Karabara village in Banki tehsil.