Bondamunda police apprehended three additional suspects, including a receiver, linked to a jewellery theft from a railway quarter two months ago. This follows the arrest of four gang members earlier.
The newly arrested individuals are Akash Ray (26) and Tafazul Khan (28) from Birmitrapur, and Suraj Bansi (25) from Sitalpada under the Uditnagar police station jurisdiction. Tafazul Khan was identified as the receiver of the stolen jewellery.
Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani revealed the robbery occurred on October 19 at the home of Dillip Kumar Panda, a junior railway engineer residing in Diesel Colony. Five masked intruders broke in by cutting a window grill, tied up the occupants, and stole gold and silver ornaments weighing approximately 380 to 400 grams, Rs 10,000 in cash, and important documents.
The investigation, aided by forensic teams and dog squads, previously resulted in the arrest of four gang members—Susil Singh, Ajay Kumar, Sachin Mahato, and receiver Rabi Shankar Verma—on December 31. Authorities recovered 120 grams of gold, 40 grams of silver, and Rs 70,000 at that time.
Singh’s interrogation and police remand led to the discovery of an additional 27 grams of gold and Rs 40,000 from his home in Chhapra, Bihar. He also revealed the involvement of Ray and Bansi, which led to their arrests.
Both Ray and Bansi have prior criminal records, having been arrested earlier for property offences under Birmitrapur and Tangarpali police stations. The investigation is ongoing to determine if they are connected to other property crimes. The recovered valuables have been returned to Dillip Kumar Panda.
