JAJPUR: A truck driver who allegedly tried to make away with Rs 40 lakh worth of ayurvedic products by orchestrating a fake theft was arrested by Panikoili police on Friday. The accused was identified as Sukanta Parida of Andapur village within Mahanga police limits in Cuttack.
Panikoili IIC Lizarani Biswal said Parida used to drive the truck owned by Shubhakanta Behera of Acharya Nagar in Bhadrak town. He had recently loaded ayurvedic products worth over Rs 40 lakh in the truck and was en route to Khurda to deliver the consignment.
“However on September 17, when the truck reached near Sathipur Braja Nagar on NH-16, Parida reportedly switched off his mobile phone, drove the vehicle to his native village and unloaded the goods there. Later he moved towards the Duburi area in Jajpur, parked the empty truck at an isolated place and informed his owner that the consignment had been stolen,” the IIC added.
After receiving a complaint from the truck owner, police began an investigation and detained Parida for interrogation. During the probe, Parida confessed to stealing the consignment himself and making up the story of the theft to mislead his owner.
Based on the revelation, police reached Parida’s native village where the consignment was unloaded and seized the goods from the area. The truck which was parked at Duburi was also recovered.“A case has been registered against the accused. He was produced in court and later remanded in judicial custody after his bail plea was rejected,” said police.