The Commissionerate Police on Monday cracked the November 30 robbery of `70 lakh from near Palashpalli when it arrested five youths including two drivers of the realtor whose money was looted.
It also recovered `34.6 lakh from their possession only to learn that the robbed amount actually was `36 lakh, not `70 lakh as reported to the police.
The accused were held from a village in Banpur and the cash was in their possession. A gold bracelet which they had snatched from Biswajit Sahu, the complainant, was also seized. The five were identified as Prashant Jena, Suman Barik, Saroj Swain, Sukant Rout and Manoj Sahu. All of them are in their 20s.
Both Manoj and Sukant were drivers with Ugrasen Sahoo, promoter of Jagat Janani Infrastructure Private Ltd. In fact, Manoj was driving the car in which Biswajit, Ugrasen’s nephew, was going to the bank on that day.
Police Commissioner RP Sharma said the police raided several places basing on clues and tracked down the five from Nauri village in Banpur.
In fact, right from the beginning, police were suspecting the role of insiders in the case given its curious nature and Mohan was under scanner. Sharma aid Mohan and Sukant were the masterminds for the robbery and had roped in Saroj who runs a mobile recharge shop in Bhimatangi area under Airfield police limits where the incident had occurred.
Saroj, in turn, brought in Suman and Prashant to the plan. While Suman is studying BTech in a private engineering college, Prashant stays in MLA Colony of the City.
The blueprint for the robbery was prepared on November 29 night and the five gave it shape when Suman and Prashant hit their bike with the car in which Biswajit was travelling before intercepting it. Then they snatched the cash at weapon point.
Interestingly, Biswajit had reported to police that `70 lakh was looted whereas police recovered `34.6 lakh from the accused. When Ugrasen and Biswajit were confronted by the police, it turned out that only `36 lakh was looted.
“Ugrasen said `51 lakh was pooled the night before and he had kept aside `15 lakh for a payment which meant only `36 lakh was to be deposited in the bank and got robbed,” Sharma said.
The rest `1.4 lakh was spent by the five.