Jagatsinghpur: Seven suspected drug traffickers, including two brothers, were arrested on Sunday for allegedly ramming their four-wheeler into a constable of a police team trying to stop them near College Square, Jagatsinghpur around Saturday midnight.Constable Nityananda Senapati sustained serious injuries and suffered a fracture in his right hand.According to a police officer, when the team signalled the vehicle to stop, the driver allegedly accelerated and ran the vehicle over the constable. Police stations in the area were immediately alerted. Within two hours, police intercepted and seized the vehicle and arrested all seven accused.The arrested duo were Vicky Parija (36) and his younger brother, Zaki Parija (32), both from Jagatsinghpur town. Police said they were arrested around eight months ago in connection with a drug trafficking racket and were released on bail two months ago. A case has been registered against them under BNS Section 109. “Further investigation is underway,” said Jagatsinghpur SDPO, Dibya Ranjan Nath. Locals have demanded strict action to prevent such attacks on police personnel.Social worker Sarat Rout said some villages in Jagatsinghpur district and adjoining areas had allegedly remained hubs for drug traffickers and peddlers for more than a decade. He said addicts from Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and other areas procured banned drugs from these places. Rout added that drug addiction among local youths had contributed to petty thefts and other crimes, leading to a rise in the district’s crime graph.
