Rourkela: Three of seven people arrested on Sunday following an arms seizure in the Circuit House here, were taken on a two-day police remand on Wednesday, as investigators intensified efforts to trace the source of the firearms and uncover possible links to a wider network.The accused trio, identified as Bikash Dungri (24), Narayan Sahu (42) and Sagar Sahoo (32), would be questioned about the origin of the weapons, the purpose of their stay at the Circuit House, and possible involvement of others in the case.Sunday’s raid followed social media posts allegedly uploaded by Bikash and Narayan, both known offenders, in which they purportedly threatened rivals.Investigators later found that a local politician had booked a suite at the Circuit House in his name on July 21, where Bikash and Narayan allegedly stayed until Aug 14. The booking had reportedly received approval from Panposh sub-collector Chandrakanta Mallick.Acting on intel inputs about the presence of illegal weapons, Raghunathpalli police conducted a late-night raid between Saturday and Sunday, seizing two firearms and ammunition from Bikash and Narayan. During interrogation, the duo allegedly disclosed the names of five associates, leading to further arrests and recovery of two more firearms.The other accused are Kartar Singh (44), Rajesh Srivastava (22), Biki Sharma (39) and Rajesh Sahu (24). Police said Sagar allegedly supplied firearms and ammunition to Bikash and Narayan. All seven accused were sent to judicial custody on Sunday.According to police records, Bikash has seven criminal cases pending against him, while Narayan has two.Police said the remand interrogation will focus on the source of the weapons, the reason for the prolonged stay at the Circuit House, the role of the remaining accused and whether any other individuals were involved. Investigators are also expected to examine the relationship between the accused and the BJP leader in whose name the accommodation had been booked.“Three accused have been brought on a two-day remand for detailed interrogation. If required, the other four accused may also be taken on remand. Any person found linked to the case will be questioned and appropriate action taken,” said Brijesh Kumar Rai, DIG (western range), Rourkela.Attempts to contact the Panposh sub-collector for comment proved futile.
