The Sambalpur police have arrested a gang of nine individuals accused of carrying out a series of night-time burglaries, stealing cash and valuable items including gold jewelry from various homes.
The accused include Narendra Nayak (22), the alleged gang leader, along with Devendra Nayak (20), Sagar Bag (24), Ramakant Oram (19), Kartik Behera (20), Manoj Meher (35), Bharat Bag (21), Badal Munda (19), and Biju Mallik (26). Authorities recovered a significant amount of stolen goods such as 11 gold rings, 4 gold bangles, 2 pairs of gold earrings, 1 gold locket, 5 silver coins, 1 gold necklace, 3 bracelets, 1 refrigerator, 1 LCD TV, 1 induction cooker, 3 Sony speakers, 1 trolley bag, and 1 gold chain during their investigation.
The thefts, committed between December 2024 and January 2025, involved breaking into homes when residents were absent. On January 14, the gang reportedly broke into the house of Avinash Panda in Budharaja, stealing several valuable items. Investigations revealed that the gang operated under the influence of drugs, targeting homes with broken gates or grills to gain entry.
On December 15 and 16, the gang robbed a house in Sourabh Vihar, taking electronics and gold items including a refrigerator, guitar, mobile phones, and a laptop. Another incident occurred in Shivam Colony on December 16 when the family was away.
Most gang members have prior criminal records and were found to meticulously plan their thefts by monitoring potential targets before striking. The Sambalpur police, led by Additional SP Prakash Jais Tapno, SDPO Tofan Bag, and Pradumna Swain, successfully apprehended the gang and recovered the stolen goods.
