Odisha: Police crack Nayapalli robbery case, accused arrested

Bhubaneswar: In a swift breakthrough, police have arrested a man involved in an early-morning robbery in Bhubaneswar, Odisha where an elderly woman was threatened at gunpoint and looted of her gold jewellery a few days back. The heist had taken place in Gadasahi area of Nayapalli in the early hours of the morning on February 4.

The arrested accused has been identified as Ashok Kumar Behera, a resident of Behera Sahi under Nayapalli police limits. Police have recovered the looted gold earrings from his possession. A scooter used during the crime and a toy gun used to threaten the victim have also been seized.

As per reports, the woman Indumati Balabantray (68) - a resident of Nayapalli Gadasahi - had stepped out early in the morning at around 5 am after sweeping her house premises and was plucking flowers inside her compound when a youth approached her holding a gun. The accused threatened her and fled the spot after forcibly snatching her gold jewellery. The victim in her statement had claimed that the assailant appeared without warning, pressed a gun to her head, and warned her not to make any noise. He then secured the door from outside to stop family members from stepping in and forced her to hand over her valuables.

Locals flag rising snatching cases in city

Following the incident, local residents had voiced alarm over the growing number of chain-snatching and robbery incidents in the city, apart from public safety while they go about their daily chores. They demanded intensified patrolling by the police particularly during the early hours.

Police officials said after examining CCTV footage installed at various locations in the area, they were able to track down and apprehend the accused.

" We arrested the accused after scanning the security cameras. The toy gun used during the robbery has also been recovered," said Biswaranjan Senapati, ACP, Zone-5.

Also read: Odisha: Retired female health worker hacked to death while resisting robbery in Kalahandi