In the early hours of Monday, Arjun Anare, a notorious apartment burglar, was captured by police after a tense encounter near the Balianta Canal embankment on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. Anare sustained a gunshot wound to his left knee during the exchange of fire and is receiving medical treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. Four of his accomplices managed to escape.
The Bhubaneswar Police’s anti-dacoity enforcement team was conducting a routine patrol near Balianta and Dhauli Hills when they noticed a bike-riding armed gang. Upon attempting to stop them, the suspects fired at the officers, leading to a retaliatory response. Anare was injured in the confrontation and arrested, while the others fled.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Pinak Mishra explained, “During the pre-dawn operation, our anti-dacoity team tracked the gang and initiated a pursuit. The suspects fired upon us, and we acted in self-defense. One of the criminals was shot in the knee and was quickly transferred to the hospital, where he is stable.”
Preliminary investigations indicate that the gang members are believed to be from outside the state, particularly Madhya Pradesh. A scientific team is at the scene gathering evidence, including bullet casings and materials linked to the gang’s activities.
This incident comes on the heels of a string of apartment burglaries in Bhubaneswar. In December 2023, two members of an inter-state “apartment lootera gang” were arrested for a robbery at Nirupama Apartment in Nayapalli, where Rs 13 lakh in cash was stolen.
