In a major breakthrough, Bhubaneswar’s Commissionerate Police has successfully apprehended three individuals involved in a series of gold chain snatchings. These criminals, who terrorized morning walkers across Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Bhadrak, and Balasore, have been linked to a number of such incidents in the region.
The trio consists of Ganesh Purty (41) from Balasore Sadar, Sankar Das (29) from Jajpur Korei, and Sk Niyamat (28), alias Chotu, from West Medinipur, West Bengal. The group, operating out of Bhubaneswar’s Vani Vihar and Masjid Colony areas, had been evading capture for some time. During their arrest, police seized four gold chains, three mobile phones, a motorcycle, and weapons including bill hooks from them.
The two primary suspects, Sankar and Ganesh, who are brother-in-law, had a criminal history dating back to January 2021, when they were arrested for a series of robberies. After serving a prison sentence, they were released on bail in May 2024 and, alongside Niyamat, resumed their chain-snatching spree. They were caught following an investigation by BBSR UPD, which successfully linked them to several incidents across multiple police districts in the state.
The arrests are a significant victory for local law enforcement in their ongoing efforts to crack down on organized crime and bring perpetrators to justice.