Bhubaneswar police arrest burglar in Rs 50 lakh heist at ex-Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik’s home

BHUBANESWAR: Bhubaneswar police on Thursday arrested a man in connection with the burglary at the residence of former Odisha Congress president Niranjan Patnaik.

The thief stole gold ornaments worth Rs 50 lakh from Patnaik’s house in the city’s upscale VIP Colony on January 26.

Chief minister Mohan Majhi had earlier expressed concern over the theft and assured Patnaik of swift action.

The burglary

The high-profile burglary occurred just days after the Enforcement Directorate searched Patnaik’s residence as part of an inquiry into alleged financial irregularities linked to his brother’s business.

According to Patnaik, the thief broke into the second floor while he and his wife were asleep on the first floor. Gold jewellery stored in his son’s cupboard and several thousand rupees in cash were stolen. "My son was away, and the second floor was vacant. We didn’t hear any noise," Patnaik had said.

Despite the presence of private security personnel, the theft went unnoticed.

DCP Pinak Mishra had earlier said that CCTV footage showed a lone intruder with his face covered by a cap and mask. "We are analysing the footage to gather evidence," Mishra said.

Another break-in attempt

Two days after the heist, there was another burglary attempt at Patnaik’s residence.

Locals caught one suspect trying to scale the boundary wall while his accomplice managed to escape.

The suspect was handed over to Nayapalli police. No items were stolen, but residents expressed concern over recurring theft attempts in the area despite increased police patrolling.

“We suspect the burglar caught by locals is a drug addict,” Patnaik said. “The city’s law and order situation is deteriorating. It’s time for police to rework their crime prevention strategy.”

DCP Pinak Mishra said police are questioning the arrested suspect and trying to trace his accomplices. “We are investigating whether the same gang was involved in both incidents,” he added.