Highway looters on prowl in Balasore: 3 robberies in 12 hours

Balasore: It seems like highway looters are on prowl in Balasore after three robberies were reported in Soro area of the district within 12 hours yesterday.

As per reports, unidentified miscreants looted gold chain, cash over Rs 1 lakh and a mobile phone from a businessman at gunpoint in broad daylight yesterday.

A few hours after, when an employee of an automobile finance company was returning to his house at Sarupada in Soro on his bike, three miscreants intercepted him at Chapolia on NH-16. They later robbed the man identified as Manoj Mohanty of Rs 21,000 cash and mobile phone by brandishing a sharp weapon.

After sometime, another dacoity was reported from the same place, where a Rajasthan-based businessman was looted of Rs 14,000 cash and a mobile phone. When the marble dealer, Dinesh Kumar, was going to Bhadrak from Balasore, five buglers stopped him and looted the cash and mobile phone at gunpoint.

Though the Soro police has begun an investigation into the series loot, no arrest was made in this connection till last reports came in. Meanwhile, angry locals have questioned the efficacy of the police in maintaining law and order in the district.