BERHAMPUR: In a broad daylight robbery, masked motorcycle-borne miscreants fired at a retired defence personnel before looting him of his valuables near Angargaon within Beguniapada police limits in Ganjam district on Sunday, December 12, 2021. The victim was identified as Puspa Prakash Behera of Humma village. Behera had recently retired from the Indian Army.
The incident took place when Behera was returning from Angargaon on his bike. Three masked miscreants on motorcycles intercepted him and blocked his passage. “When I resisted, one of the miscreants came to me holding a revolver. At gunpoint, he asked me to hand over all my valuables to him,” said Behera.
When Behera refused, the two other miscreants joined their accomplice and started to assault him. The victim sustained head injuries in the attack and when he fell down, the miscreants fired around three rounds at him. One of the bullets hit his knee.
The miscreants then took Behera’s ATM card, Rs12,000 cash and other valuables before speeding away towards Salia Dam road. Passersby rushed a grievously-injured Behera to Sumandal hospital. On being informed, Beguniapada OIC Sangram Dehuri reached the spot and started investigation. Sources said Behera had gone to Angargaon to finalise the date of his son’s marriage.
Ganjam has witnessed a spurt in loot incidents in the last one week. Last Friday, three miscreants injured a trader critically and looted Rs 3.70 lakh cash from him in broad daylight on Palur road in Rambha.
Similarly on Wednesday, another trader in Khalikote area was looted of Rs 70,000 cash.