Making a mockery of Commissionerate Police, five miscreants barged into a jewellery shop near Station Square on Wednesday evening and decamped with 7 kg of gold by assaulting and terrorising the store staffers.
The tables, however, were turned on them by the public which tried to foil their bid and captured one.
The incident, which occurred between 9.25 pm and 9.40 pm, has shocked the denizens and commercial establishments, given the brazen manner in which the dacoits made the bid not caring two hoots for the busy hour and the local police station, which is just a few hundred meters away.
The 15-minute operation also exposed the growing lack of fear among the criminals for the City police.
The anti-socials’ attack left two staffers of City Jewellers injured, while the public turned its anger on the captured criminal.
He was thrashed badly and has been shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital. His condition is stated to be critical.
The dacoits are believed to have run away with at least 2 kg gold jewellery, police said.
Unofficial sources put the figure at 5 kg. Kharavela Nagar Police was caught on the wrong foot as several of its officials were out attending a feast when the incident took place.
According to sources, the five miscreants, armed with sharp weapons and guns, took advantage of the closing hours and entered the store.
After knocking their way in, they whipped out guns and sharp weapons taking the store staffers by surprise.
They locked the doors from inside and two of them started collecting the ornaments. Two dacoits had guns while the rest had sharp weapons. They also assaulted two store staffers.
After collecting the booty, the two miscreants led the way while the rest followed them towards their bikes. While the first two sped away on a bike, the third was left behind.
This is when the store staffers and public started to give them a chase. Eyewitnesses said the anti-social, who was trailing, dropped a few gold ornaments he was carrying and tried to collect them when his associates deserted him.
He tried to run away towards Station Square when he was captured. The public turned its anger on him, but Kharavela Nagar police was nowhere to be seen.
Later, the police reached the spot and rescued the captured miscreant.
He was admitted to a private hospital before being shifted to Cuttack. Additional CP Santosh Bala rushed to the spot. No one has been arrested yet.