Wanted criminal, accomplice arrested in Jharkhand

Chatomba, Sujui and seven others had shot dead a cattle trader with the looted INSAS rifle and looted Rs 15 lakh from him in Badra village in Rairangpur Police Station of Odishas Mayurbhanj district a couple of months ago.Eleven other members of the gang, including Sujui, have already been arrested and are languishing in jails in the two states.

A ''notorious gangster'', wanted for the murder of a cattle trader with INSAS rifle and looting Rs 15 lakh from him in neighbouring Odisha, has been arrested along with his accomplice in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district, police said on Monday.

Acting on a tip-off, police intercepted a motorcycle and nabbed 32-year-old Nitesh Chatomba and his 30-year-old aide John Sanjay Lamay near Kuju bridge in Aayta village in Mufassil Police Station area on Sunday, Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar said.

A double-barrel country-made firearm, a sharp weapon and two cartridges were seized from their possession, he said, adding the duo was on the way to loot someone. The duo confessed to committing murder, extortion, loot and dacoity in association with other members of the gang, against whom 19 cases are pending in Jharkhand and Odisha, the SP said.

After coming out of prison last year, Chatomba formed a gang of over a dozen criminals and committed crimes in the two states. His gang members included one Lalit Sujui, an active member of CPI (Maoist). He had arranged for an INSAS rifle looted from one of the slain bodyguards of former BJP MLA Gurucharan Nayak, who had a miraculous escape during an attack by red rebels in Manoharpur earlier this year, the officer said. Chatomba, Sujui and seven others had shot dead a cattle trader with the looted INSAS rifle and looted Rs 15 lakh from him in Badra village in Rairangpur Police Station of Odisha's Mayurbhanj district a couple of months ago.

Eleven other members of the gang, including Sujui, have already been arrested and are languishing in jails in the two states.