Sambalpur: In a significant breakthrough, police have arrested the prime accused in connection with last month’s daring daylight dacoity at a Manappuram Gold Loan office in Sambalpur district.
The main suspect, Uttam Paswan, was apprehended from Guwahati and is set to be brought to Sambalpur on a seven-day remand for further interrogation.
In a related development, Ainthapali police have arrested two additional suspects linked to the heist. The duo, identified as Pankaj Paswan (26) and his cousin Ajay Paswan, both residents of Bihar, were nabbed from separate locations.
Pankaj was arrested from Hooghly district in West Bengal, while Ajay was captured in the Thelkuli area of Sambalpur district, according to SDPO Tofan Bag.
Despite these arrests, the police are yet to recover the stolen gold and cash. The audacious robbery, which took place on January 3, involved around 10 armed assailants who stormed the Manappuram Gold Loan office on Budharaja Main Road in broad daylight.
The robbers, armed with firearms and sharp-edged weapons, made off with approximately 30 kg of gold, valued at over Rs 20 crore, along with Rs 4.81 lakh in cash.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to trace the remaining suspects and recover the stolen valuables.
