ANGUL: Seven women allegedly stole 25 sarees worth around `7.5 lakh from the showroom of state-run Boyanika in Angul town by deceiving the staff on Saturday. The incident, however, came to light only on Monday.
The women reportedly arrived in an Innova and entered the showroom located in Amalapada during lunch hours, when staff presence was thin, and executed their plan.
An FIR has been registered at Angul Town police station in connection with the theft but no arrests have been made so far. Police are examining CCTV footage for leads and suspect that the accused may be from outside the state.
According to store manager Rashmi Ranjita Pattnaik, the incident occurred when most of the staff had stepped out for lunch. Only four staff members, including Pattnaik, were present in the showroom when the seven women arrived. While three of them initially stayed outside, four entered the store and began browsing sarees, asking the staff to show more varieties.
Meanwhile, the remaining three women entered the showroom and posed as customers, engaging the staff in purchases. As the employees remained occupied, the other four allegedly carried out the theft by folding sarees and concealing them under their clothes.
Pattnaik said while the limited staff were busy attending to the customers’ demands, the miscreants managed to steal around 25 sarees, each priced between Rs 22,000 and Rs 40,000. The total loss is estimated at about Rs 7.5 lakh.
Inspector-in-charge of Angul police station, Prakash Majhi, said an FIR has been registered and preliminary investigation suggests the involvement of a gang from outside the state. Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the accused at the earliest, he added.