Raipur (Chhatisgarh): The Raipur police have successfully busted a gang of burglars involved in a series of thefts, arrested three members of the group belong to Raigarha, Odisha. The gang had been targeting deserted houses, breaking locks to steal valuables.
In a novel approach to avoid detection, the thieves chose to mortgage the stolen jewelry at a reputable financial institution, Muthoot Finance, rather than selling it outright. However, the vigilance and swift action carried out by the police, the gang was apprehended, and the stolen jewelry worth Rs 5.5 lakh was recovered from the finance company.
The case came to light when Suman Tiwari, a resident of Vipranagar Agroha Colony, filed an FIR at DD Nagar police station. Tiwari reported that while she was visiting her maternal home in Changorabhata, unknown thieves had stolen jewelry and cash worth over Rs 5 lakh from her residence. Upon returning home on August 29, she discovered that the main gate lock was broken, and valuable items were missing from her cupboard.
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Following Tiwari’s complaint, the Anti-Crime Unit launched an investigation. Using CCTV footage from her neighborhood, the police identified the culprits as members of a gang from Raigarha district, Odisha. Ravishankar Mahanandiya, a resident of Raigarha, was arrested, and he subsequently confessed to the crime along with his accomplices Bijju and P. Srikant. The police also arrested P. Srikant and K. Anil Kumar, who had hidden some of the stolen gold.
The investigation revealed that the gang had mortgaged the gold at Muthoot Finance to obtain cash. They had also submitted their Aadhar cards to the finance company as part of the process. The police are currently searching for Bijju, who remains at large. The arrested members of the gang have a history of theft, with over half a dozen cases registered against them in Raigarha, and many have previously served sentences for similar offenses.
