BHUBANESWAR: Police have arrested seven persons, including a woman and three home guards, for allegedly abducting a quarry owner and looting `9 lakh cash from him near Rupkona Chhak in Rayagada district on Monday night.
The prime accused Sunita Naik of Gobarghati village in the district had allegedly planned the dacoity in connivance with the home guards posted in two different police stations, and five other associates. She along with her key accomplice Hira Naik, home guards Indramani Karkaria, Dillip Garadia and Tamana Preska, and two others Simanchal Majhi and Mukesh Nag were nabbed within hours of the incident.
“The three home guards and two others, who have absconded, robbed the businessman in the moving car wearing police uniform. Efforts are on to apprehend two others involved in the crime,” South western range DIG, Kanwar Vishal Singh told TNIE.
The DIG said, the victim T Uma Reddy (53), is a native of Labanyagada in Gajapati district, and has a stone quarry and granite business. He had come to Jeypore in Koraput district recently for some work. On Monday, he and his two friends were travelling to Rayagada to hire some labourers to work at his stone quarry, when the incident took place.
Police said, Reddy had planned to meet Sunita, a former employee of his, on the way in the connection. She was aware that he was carrying huge amount of cash to make advance payment to the labourers. Sunita and her associate Hira met Reddy at Rupkona Chhak. While they were in discussion, seven persons arrived there in a Bolero SUV and a bike. Out of the seven, five were reportedly in police uniform.
They asked Reddy the reason behind his presence in the area with a woman.
They also spotted the bag in which he was carrying the cash and instructed him to accompany them to Rayagada SP’s office for questioning. They got Reddy into their vehicle along with Sunita. The two persons with Reddy were asked to remain in their car. After travelling for about 4-5 kms, they dropped Sunita and took Reddy to a desolate stretch where they assaulted him and snatched his money bag. They also robbed his gold chain weighing about 40 gm before pushing him out of the moving car, and fled the spot.
A seriously injured Reddy went to Rayagada police station at about 11.55 pm and lodged a complaint alleging seven persons, including five in police uniform, assaulted and looted cash and valuables from him.
Police swung into action and established that out of the seven persons involved in the crime, three were home guards. While two were attached with K Singhpur police station, one was performing his duties in Bissamcuttack police station in the district.
The car used to kidnap the complainant and `2.50 lakh looted cash was seized from them. A motorcycle and six mobile phones were also recovered. Further investigation is continuing, Singh said.