Sambalpur police have successfully arrested Uttam Paswan, the main suspect involved in the daring daylight robbery at the Mannapuram Gold Finance office in Budharaja on January 3. Uttam was apprehended in Guwahati, Assam, where he had been hiding. He is believed to have coordinated the entire heist.
The police made the arrest following weeks of investigation and slow progress. According to Himanshu Kumar Lal, IG of the Northern Range, Uttam is being questioned, and the police plan to take him into remand for further investigation. The authorities are still working to arrest other suspects and recover the stolen goods.
Previously, on January 16, two suspects, Pankaj Paswan and Ajaya Paswan, were arrested in Hazipur, Bihar. Pankaj revealed vital information during questioning, which led to the discovery of a country-made pistol and live ammunition in his rented house in Sambalpur.
The robbery, which occurred at around 11 am on January 3, resulted in the theft of approximately 30 kg of gold and Rs. 4 lakh in cash. Despite the crime occurring in broad daylight, the criminals managed to escape without raising an alarm.
The police are continuing their investigation into the involvement of four to five additional individuals in the robbery, with Subodh Singh and Pallu Singh, currently imprisoned in Bihar and West Bengal, identified as masterminds behind the crime. The investigation is ongoing as the authorities work to recover the stolen valuables.
