BHUBANESWAR: Cocking a snook at Commissionerate Police, five armed miscreants stole Rs 3 lakh in cash and gold ornaments weighing 200 grams from the house of a BJP leader and businessman Dinabandhu Das here in the wee hours of Thursday.
Das, a civil contractor and into transport business, had gone outside his house at Bhotapada under Mancheswar police limits at around 2 am to throw garbage when the miscreants scaled the wall of his building and obstructed him. On hearing his screams, Das’ wife came outside and confronted the miscreants. They, however, hit her head with a blunt object and tied up the couple using bedsheets. One of them also threatened them by brandishing a gun.
The couple’s daughter Monalisha was asleep in another room. The miscreants went to her room and called her outside. They asked her to handover the keys to the cupboard in which Das kept his valuables. Shocked, Monalisha immediately gave them the keys. They emptied the cupboard, smoked cigarettes and intimidated the family by claiming that they have received a contract to kill them. The accused also threatened the family of dire consequences if they informed the police.
“We suspect at least three other anti-socials were standing outside the house. I saw one miscreant was wearing a balaclava, one had covered his face using a towel and another had put a helmet on his head. Two others were coming inside and going out frequently,” Monalisha said.
On receiving complaint, a case was registered and investigation launched, said Manchewar police. As per police data, 547 robbery cases were reported till November end this year and 393 cases of them were closed during the period.