The Town Police in Dhenkanal arrested Kanhai Barik, a school van driver, on Saturday for his alleged involvement in a string of burglaries across the city’s Sadar area. Barik, a resident of Ragdi Sahi, reportedly exploited his job to gather information about families’ absences and helped a gang target vacant homes.
Barik regularly transported children to and from school. When students were absent, he would inquire about their families’ whereabouts. If he found out that parents were away or homes were unoccupied, he relayed this information to his associates, who then broke into the houses to steal valuables.
Acting on a tip-off, police apprehended Barik and recovered stolen items worth around Rs 10 lakh, including Rs 54,000 in cash, three laptops, five smartwatches, 100 grams of gold, and 200 grams of silver ornaments.
The thefts were reported from four locations in Dhenkanal: Gayatri Nagar, Amalapada, Karigar Sahi, and Town Planning area. The police have contacted the affected families and returned the recovered goods. The investigation is ongoing to track down Barik’s accomplices.
