The Odisha police on Tuesday intensified search in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack after four persons escaped under mysterious circumstances on being asked to show their identify proof at a hotel near the railway station here on Monday night. According to city police, four unidentified persons reached Hotel Arya Mahal, at Master Canteen Square, which is close to the venue of State level Republic Day celebration, at about 9.30 pm on Monday night.
One of them came to a hotel staff and asked for two hotel rooms that could accommodate four persons. The hotel staff insisted that they should first inspect rooms before checking in. When asked where they had come from, the person answered that they were from Iraq. As hotel staff got suspicious, local police station was informed. Immediately, a constable came to the hotel to investigate. When the person was asked to show his passport, he said it was it in the car. Within minutes the car sped of. According to police, car’s Delhi registration number was found to be fake. With State police taking no chance ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit in first week of February, Special Task Force of the Crime Branch took over the investigation. Inspector General of Police (Crime Branch) Arun Bothra inspected the hotel and questioned its staff. Investigators were studying CCTV footage obtained from the hotel.
