BHUBANESWAR: Unidentified miscreants stole cash, gold ornaments and other valuables worth at least Rs 30 lakh from former Odisha Congress president and senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik's house in posh VIP Colony area within Nayapalli police limits here late Saturday night.
The burglary took place amid heightened security in the state capital for 76th Republic Day celebrations. In the CCTV footage of Patnaik's house, a man can be seen taking the stairs to reach the first floor after breaking into his house.
The accused had covered his face in a bid to avoid getting identified. Initial investigation suggests the involvement of only one anti-social in the crime but police are verifying further details.
Patnaik's son and daughter-in-law stay on the first floor of their house but they were not present during the incident.
On the day, Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh and Bhubaneswar DCP Pinak Mishra visited Patnaik's house and assured him that the accused will be nabbed at the earliest.
Police sources said there was a private security guard at the main gate but he had possibly dozed off during the night. "A case has been registered and all efforts are being made to identify and nab the miscreants involved in the theft," said DCP Pinak Mishra.