In a significant breakthrough, Hirakud police have cracked a high-value theft case reported last week, recovering gold and silver ornaments worth around Rs 15 lakh along with cash totaling Rs 7.97 lakh. The total seized property is valued at approximately Rs 23 lakh, officials said.
Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the crime: Sanjay Pradhan (42) of HBL Colony, Shiv Shankar Jena (42) from ITI Gujatal area, and Prashant Kumar Barik (39) of Substation Colony—all residents of Hirakud.
Sambalpur SP Mukesh Bhamoo revealed that the trio fled to Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, after the theft. They handed over the stolen goods to Prashant, instructing him to return to Sambalpur after a month. Notably, Sanjay Pradhan has eight prior criminal cases registered against him.
The theft took place in the early hours of July 24 at Rajendra Kumar Swain’s residence in SDO Colony under Hirakud police limits. The robbers broke in around 5 a.m. while the family was asleep, stealing cash and gold ornaments. Following Swain’s complaint, a swift week-long investigation was launched.
The police traced the suspects’ movements, arrested all three, and produced them in court. The investigation continues.
