BHUBANESWAR: Unidentified miscreants looted gold ornaments worth Rs 21 lakh from the house of a retired state government employee at Shree Ganesh Vihar in Patharagadia within Infocity police limits here on Saturday night.
Former under-secretary of Odisha Legislative Assembly Bansidhar Gouda (70) alleged that the miscreants stole gold ornaments weighing about 20 bhari and Rs 7,000 cash by breaking into his house between 11 pm and 4 am when he and his wife were asleep.
“We were sleeping in a room on the ground floor. After waking up at 5 am, my wife went to the adjacent room which has a washroom and found the door locked from inside. I went outside to check and found the window of the room open and household articles lying shattered,” he said.
Gouda immediately contacted police and a PCR van arrived on the spot for investigation. He said a similar theft had taken place in another house in the locality around 15 days back. “I suspect the same group of miscreants may be involved in both the incidents,” he said.
Gouda further alleged that though many senior citizens are staying in the area, police are hardly carrying out patrolling to ensure the safety and security of residents.
Infocity IIC Mahendra Kumar Sahu said the thieves entered Gouda’s house through one of the windows. They locked the room from inside, broke open an almirah and managed to find the key of another cupboard. After stealing the valuables, they fled the scene.
“A case has been registered in this connection. Scientific team and dog squad visited the spot to assist us in the investigation. All efforts are being made to identify and nab the culprits,” he added.