BALIGUDA: (Report- Sanjay Kumar Panigrahi): The Baliguda police have arrested three notorious inter-district thieves for a high-profile burglary in Kotagarh. During a press conference, Baliguda SDPO Shubham Bhosale confirmed that the police recovered stolen gold, silver, cash, and motorcycles from the suspects. 
Fake Vendors Busted: Three Notorious Thieves Arrested in Kandhamal


The Incident

The burglary took place on March 22 in Retabali village. The homeowner, Pabitra Nayak, had gone to the nearby Bondapipili market for personal work. His family members were also away in the forest to collect Mahua flowers.
When the family returned, they found the back door open. A box containing gold and silver jewelry, along with ₹1,00,000 in cash, was missing. Mr. Nayak filed an official complaint at the Kotagarh police station the following day.

The Police Investigation

The police registered a case under the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita). Investigating Officer SI Jitendra Kumar Behera used mobile tracking and technical data analysis to identify the suspects.
The police identified three young men:
  • Pratap Jani (21)
  • Chaitu Jani (18)
  • Milu Jani (23)
All three suspects belong to Tumburla village in the Nabarangpur district. The Kandhamal Cyber Cell assisted in tracking and capturing them.

Modus Operandi: "The Vendor Disguise"

During interrogation, the suspects revealed their method. They traveled through tribal and rural areas posing as street vendors selling attractive household items. This allowed them to scout houses and monitor the movements of residents without raising suspicion.
On the day of the crime, they noticed Mr. Nayak’s house was locked and the area was quiet. While Milu Jani stood guard outside to watch for witnesses, Pratap and Chaitu entered the house and stole the valuables. They later dumped the empty jewelry box in a forest near the Muniguda road.

Recovered Items

The police successfully seized the following items from the gang:
  • 4 gold ornaments (Mangalsutra flowers)
  • 1 pair of gold earrings
  • 9 silver rings, 1 silver bangle, and 2 silver chains
  • ₹25,720 in cash
  • 2 motorcycles
  • 3 mobile phones (purchased using the stolen money)
The police have sent the three accused to court. This arrest is seen as a major success in curbing inter-district property crimes in the region.