BHUBANESWAR: A day after a jewellery shop was looted in Tamando’s Kalinga Vihar area, police on Wednesday said a minor committed the crime to repay a Rs 1 lakh loan. He had mortgaged the stolen jewellery with a private finance company.
The child in conflict with law was detained and later produced before the Juvenile Justice Board. Tamando police recovered five gold rings and two chains during investigation of the crime. The cops also detained the manager of a lending agency.
DCP Jagmohan Meena said the minor looted the jewellery shop to repay the loan he had taken from a person. In fact, the offender had taken the lender with him to the finance agency to mortgage the stolen jewellery since he was minor and not allowed to carry out transaction.
The incident took place at Subhalaxmi Jewellery and Workshop in Kalinga Vihar area. Store owner Bijay Barik told mediapersons that the miscreant had entered his shop wearing a mask, posing as a customer and suddenly took out a canister from his pocket and sprayed it on his face before decamping with gold jewellery worth Rs 6 lakh from the shop.
Police said the juvenile offender committed the crime to repay a Rs 1 lakh loan that he had taken from one Subham Pradhan. After looting the gold ornaments, he went to Pradhan and asked him to accompany him to a finance agency to avail the loan as he was underage. “Pradhan and another person accompanied him to the lending agency near Fire Station Square and mortgaged the ornaments against a loan of Rs 2.20 lakh,” police said. The minor had not informed the duo that the jewellery were stolen.
In a separate development, police on Tuesday evening arrested Badal Nayak (29) from Bharatpur area of the city for allegedly snatching a chain from a woman near Jayadev Vihar square. Saheed Nagar police said Nayak and another accused were fleeing on their motorcycle after snatching the gold chain from one Preeti Patnaik (38) when they met with an accident. Nayak was apprehended after the mishap and both the bike and the stolen chain were seized from him. “Efforts are on to nab the other accused who managed to flee,” said police.