In a significant development, four more individuals have been arrested in connection with the robbery at Manapuram Gold Finance Ltd., located in Budharaja, Sambalpur. The arrested suspects have been identified as Vikash Kumar alias John Wright (25), Sanjeev Kumar Paswan from Vaishali, Bihar, Yash Anand from Patna, Bihar, and Piyush Raj from Patna, Bihar.
The mastermind of the crime, Subodh Singh, was brought to custody on remand from Presidency Correctional Home, Alipore, Kolkata.
According to Sambalpur SP Mukesh Bhamoo, John Wright and Piyush Raj had previously committed similar robberies in Udaipur, Rajasthan (25 kg of gold) and Madhya Pradesh (17 kg of gold). To date, eight individuals have been arrested in connection with the crime.
The gang had reportedly camped in the neighboring Bargarh district for a month, meticulously planning their heist. They used the stolen gold ornaments to purchase weapons, which were later seized by the police. Interestingly, these weapons are not manufactured in India, adding another layer of complexity to the case.
The robbery took place on January 3, 2025, when five masked individuals, armed with pistols, stormed the Manapuram Gold Finance Ltd. office. They stole 27.52 kg of gold ornaments and Rs4,81,382 in cash.
The Sambalpur Police have filed a case and are continuing their investigation to apprehend any remaining members of the gang and recover further stolen assets.
