Patna, March 2 (NationPress) In a significant pre-Holi operation, the Patna Police has dismantled an alleged plot to incite disorder in Maner city, apprehending eight suspects from a garden near Hulasi Tola village, according to officials on Monday.

Responding to a tip-off, law enforcement encircled the area and caught the group while they were reportedly devising a criminal act.

During the operation, police seized two country-made pistols, another pistol, and eight live cartridges from the individuals in custody.

As per the reports, these suspects had congregated in the garden the previous night.

Upon receiving the intelligence, a specialized team was formed under the direction of Damapur State Divisional Police Officer A.K. Jha and Maner Police Station Station House Officer Rajneesh Kumar.

The team executed a prompt operation, successfully detaining all eight suspects at the scene.

Among those detained, two individuals, identified as Mantesh and Bittu, are noted to have prior criminal affiliations.

Mantesh, a resident of Hulasi Tola village, had previously been incarcerated in 2023 due to a shooting incident at the home of Maner Municipal Council Chairman Vidyadhar Vinod.

Authorities indicated that Bittu also has multiple serious charges lodged against him across various police stations.

Efforts are underway to investigate the backgrounds of the other suspects to assess the full scope of the crime network.

Following the arrests, police have initiated thorough interrogations to clarify the alleged targets and motivations behind the impending crime as the Holi festival approaches.

Bhanu Pratap, the Patna Superintendent of Police (City-West), is scheduled to hold a press conference on Monday to provide additional insights regarding the arrests and ongoing investigation.

The Patna Police have commenced a focused campaign against crime to reduce incidents.

Bihar's Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar has instructed district police chiefs to implement stringent preventive strategies as Holi approaches.

To ensure tranquility during the festival, a robust deployment includes 12 companies of the Range Reserve Force, 31 companies of the Bihar Armed Police Force, 2,768 trainee constables from the Police Training Centre (currently training at the Police Academy in Rajgir), 5,100 Home Guards, and three companies of the Central Police Reserve Force.

The highest concentration of police personnel has been allocated to Patna, comprising three companies from the Range Reserve Police Force, three companies from the Bihar Armed Police Force, 535 newly recruited constables, and 400 Home Guards.