Six people have been taken into custody by the Jagatsinghpur police for their alleged involvement in an incident where unidentified miscreants hurled three petrol bombs at the residence of Paradip Municipal Chairman Basanta Biswal, police said.
According to the Jagatsinghpur Police, three petrol bombs were thrown directly into the compound of the Municipal Chairman’s house. Chairman Biswal was not at home when the unidentified attackers hurled the petrol bombs at his house and fled the scene.
Fortunately, no injuries or significant property damages were reported from site.
Jagatsinghpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Ankit Kumar Verma stated, “Three to four petrol bombs were discovered inside the compound of the Paradip Municipality Chairman’s residence. Upon receiving the alert, the Additional SP immediately rushed to the site to initiate an inquiry. I visited the location myself, alongside a scientific team, to gather forensic evidence.”
The police further noted that immediately after being alerted, teams rushed to the site to intensify the probe and requested the assistance of forensic specialists. SP Verma also personally supervised the on-site investigation.
The SP asserted that the police will track down the perpetrators, stressing that no matter who they are or where they attempt to hide, the police will ensure they are apprehended.
“On the basis of suspicion, we have detained some people, and their interrogation is going on. We are hoping that we will crack this case very soon, and whoever is involved in this case will be presented before the court. Prima facie, now we are developing those clues further so that we get the concrete evidence, and very soon we will solve this case,” SP Jagatsinghpur added.
Meanwhile, over the past several days, the Jagatsinghpur District Security Officer has been conducting a widespread crackdown against local criminal elements.
Earlier, following a strict directive issued by Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Y B Khurania, Rayagada Superintendent of Police (SP) Raj Prasad said that the police force is maintaining a high level of surveillance over criminal elements in the district and executing preventive protocols to monitor them closely.
SP Prasad said, “Regarding crime and lawbreakers, we will guarantee rigorous surveillance over their movements. All essential preventive measures will be pursued to track their operations, ensuring an effective check on criminal activities across the district.”
According to statistical data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), murder cases in the state ticked up marginally from 1,258 in 2024 to 1,304 in 2025. Furthermore, the NCRB’s Crime in India 2023 report previously placed Odisha among the states with the highest crime rates against women, documenting 25,914 cases that year (reflecting a 9.6% spike from 23,648 in 2022), alongside a low conviction rate of 6.9%, which sits far below the national average. The state has consistently featured prominently for high rates of crimes against women in recent NCRB annual releases.
