Fear has gripped Ganjam district for years as antisocial elements ran amok with extortion, land grabbing, sand mafia rackets, liquor trade, gambling dens, kidnappings and cold-blooded murders.
Today, the police finally struck back. In a swift and decisive operation, notorious criminal Dipun Nayak alias Dipu (35) was injured in a police encounter inside the Baidyanathpur police station limits.
According to Berhampur SP Dr. Saravana Vivek M, the dreaded gangster – wanted in at least five criminal cases registered in different police stations – was cornered by a Baidyanathpur police team while they attempted to arrest him from his native village of Lanjiapalli Deep Sahi. When Dipu allegedly opened fire, the police retaliated in self-defence. A bullet struck him in the left leg. He was immediately rushed to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur, where he is now under tight police security and receiving treatment.
The encounter has sent a strong message across Ganjam, where ordinary citizens had begun to live in constant terror. Local intellectuals and residents have long demanded that police reopen dusty old files and crack down on the entire network of “dada” gangs involved in sand smuggling, forced land acquisition, illegal liquor and gambling rackets, and contract killings. Many high-profile murder and abduction cases had reportedly been pushed under the carpet, emboldening the criminals.
With this action, the district police appear to have drawn a line. Further investigation into Dipu’s larger network is underway, the SP confirmed.
