Bhubaneswar: A man working as a school van driver was arrested by Town Police in Dhenkanal on Saturday for his involvement in a series of burglaries in the city’s Sadar area.
The accused has been identified as Kanhai Barik, a resident of Ragdi Sahi in Dhenkanal district, allegedly used his job to gather information about families’ whereabouts and targeted homes left unattended.
According to sources, Barik transported children to and from school daily. When a student was absent, he would inquire about the family’s situation. If he learned that the parents were out of town or the house was temporarily vacant, he would relay the information to his associates. The gang would then break into the identified homes and commit theft.
Acting on a tip-off, police apprehended Barik and recovered Rs 54,000 in cash, three laptops, five smartwatches, gold ornaments weighing 100 grams, and silver ornaments weighing 200 grams from his possession. The total value of the stolen items is estimated at Rs 10 lakh.
The stolen goods were reportedly looted from four locations in Dhenkanal city—Gayatri Nagar, Amalapada, Karigar Sahi, and the Town Planning area.
Police have contacted the affected families and returned the recovered items. Further investigation is underway to trace Barik’s accomplices.
