Bhubaneswar: In a shocking incident of highway robbery, six miscreants attacked a woman gold trader and snatched a bag containing Rs 36 lakh on Sunday night. The incident occurred between 10 pm and 10:30 pm near the Taladanda Canal Bridge on National Highway 16 at Taladanda, close to OMP Chowk.
Pinki Shah, a gold businesswoman, was heading to the OMP bus stand on a scooter along with her employee to catch a bus to Kolkata for purchasing gold jewellery when the robbers struck.
According to the complaint, the six robbers suddenly stopped their vehicle in front of the scooter and launched a surprise attack. When Pinki resisted, the criminals threatened her with weapons and brutally assaulted her with an iron rod. They then snatched the bag containing Rs 36 lakh in cash and fled the scene.
Pinki was left seriously injured on the road. Local people and police rushed to the spot and shifted her to SCB Medical College and Hospital for treatment.
Pinki runs a gold jewellery shop in Cuttack and was scheduled to travel to Kolkata by bus departing around 10:30 pm from OMP. The robbery took place just minutes before she was to board the bus.
Family members of the victim reached Madhupatana Police Station and lodged a formal complaint.
Meanwhile, a police team visited SCB Medical College, recorded Pinki’s statement, and has initiated an investigation into the case.
Police are now scanning CCTV footage from the National Highway and nearby areas and have launched a massive manhunt to nab the six robbers.
