Bhubaneswar: In a significant breakthrough, Nayagarh Police have arrested four accused in connection with the burglary cases reported at Jagannath Temple and Gopinath Temple in Nayagarh.
The accused persons have been identified as Susanta Karmi (27), Laxminarayan Nayak (34), Gourahari Mohanty (42), and Sahil Patra (26).
As per reports, the burglaries occurred on February 19/20, 2024, and February 28, 2025, respectively. The accused stole gold ornaments weighing 32 grams, silver ornaments weighing around 1500 grams, brass and bronze utensils weighing 34 kg, a mobile phone, and cash amounting to Rs. 40,000.
The police team, led by Inspector Rasmi Ranjan Mohapatra, was formed under the guidance of the Superintendent of Police, Nayagarh. The team conducted a joint raid with the special squad team and apprehended the accused individuals, recovering all the stolen articles.
Investigations revealed that the accused individuals used to follow blogs to gather information about the temples and plan their burglaries. They also took the help of Google Maps to execute their crime. They operated single-handedly and had previous convictions for similar offenses.
The investigative police team detected the accused individuals through CCTV footage and electronic surveillance. Their photos and videos were circulated on different police groups, leading to their arrest.
Police have registered two cases, No. 67 and No. 80, under sections 331(4)/305 BNS and are further investigating the matter.
