Dhenkanal: Armed robbers allegedly looted gold jewellery worth around Rs 15 lakh and cash from the residence of a retired librarian in Dhenkanal district after holding the elderly couple at knifepoint late on Monday night.
The robbery took place at Saanda village under the jurisdiction of Parjang police station. The victims have been identified as Suresh Pani, a retired librarian, and his wife, Reena, a teacher at a local school.
The accused reportedly bypassed the CCTV cameras, forced the couple to hand over the keys to an almirah, and fled with the valuables after locking them inside a room.
According to reports, the couple was on the first floor of their two-storey house, while the ground floor had been rented out. Three armed miscreants allegedly entered the premises from the rear to avoid the CCTV cameras installed at the front. They cut through a wire fence, used a ladder to reach the balcony, and broke open a fibre door before entering the house. The robbers also allegedly damaged a CCTV camera during the break-in.
The accused allegedly threatened the couple with sharp weapons and forced them to hand over the keys to the almirah. They also took away the couple’s two mobile phones before confining them to a room. The robbers then escaped with gold jewellery estimated to be worth around Rs 15 lakh and Rs 5,000 in cash.
During their escape, the accused reportedly discarded one of the stolen mobile phones near the Saanda Shiva Temple and the other near Kantio Kateni. Preliminary investigation suggests that the robbers fled towards the Pandua area.
After being informed, a team from Parjang police station reached the spot and launched an investigation. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest those involved in the robbery.
