KUMUD JENAMANI
Jamshedpur, Aug 14: Dreaded criminal Santosh Gupta was arrested while trying to extort money from truck drivers on NH-33 at Pardih under Azadnagar thana area in Mango on Saturday.
Gupta along with another criminal was extorting money at gunpoint and had shot at one of the truck drivers minutes before he was rounded up at the Pardih Chowk.
The gunshot victim identified as Mohammed Sadakat Chowdhury was rushed to MGM medical college hospital for treatment.
While arresting Gupta (45), the police seized a semi-automatic pistol and magazine along with a car which the duo were using in committing the crime on the National Highway.
Gupta and his associate had swooped over the truck driver at a roadside tea stall where the victim had stopped for the tea past midnight.
Incidentally, a patrolling party was tipped off in Azadnagar about the ongoing crime at the tea stall. Soon the patrolling party rushed to the spot but by then the criminals had already shot at the driver in a sequel to extort the money.
The police party had, however, succeeded to nab Gupta whereas his associate managed to escape the crime scene.
A resident of Mango, Gupta had allegedly killed an oil mill owner Vikash Debuka in 2003 but was acquitted on getting the benefit of the doubt. Apart from allegedly committing the murder of Debuka, Gupta who was associated with the Paramjeet Singh gang was accused of several grievous criminal cases.
