In a breakthrough in the Sambalpur gold jewellery loot case, the police have arrested one of the key robbers, Ajay Paswan, who was apprehended in Ranchi. The arrest was made by the Hatia unit of Railway Protection Force (RPF), which later handed him over to the Sambalpur police for further investigation.
The robbery took place on January 3, when six to seven armed robbers, wearing helmets, stormed into the Manappuram Finance Limited branch in the Budharaja area of Sambalpur during the day. The assailants, armed with guns, threatened the employees and forced them to open the lockers. They managed to steal 29 kg of gold jewellery and Rs 4.81 lakh in cash before fleeing the scene on three bikes towards the highway.
Sudhir Rath, the Assistant branch head, recounted the harrowing experience, stating that the robbers not only threatened the staff with firearms but also manhandled them to ensure compliance.
Following the robbery, the Sambalpur police launched an extensive manhunt, sharing photographs of two suspects and offering a bounty of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to the robbers’ arrest. The authorities were able to successfully track down Ajay Paswan, who is believed to be a significant part of the robbery operation.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are working to identify and arrest the remaining suspects involved in the heist.
