Bhubaneswar: Time and again, incidents of loot have apparently turned “smart city” Bhubaneswar into a crime zone where the most vulnerable are senior citizens.
This was again evident after miscreants looted gold, silver ornaments and cash worth Rs 3 lakh after thrashing an elderly couple inside their house on late Monday night in Sisupalgarh area of the city.
As per reports, a group of armed miscreants barged into the house of a retired official Braja Kishore Mohanty by breaking the window grill. After holding Mohanty and his wife hostage, the miscreants looted valuables. They also reportedly thrashed the elderly couple before fleeing the spot.
“They beat me with rod and looted all cash, gold ornaments and other valuables,” said Mohanty.
The incident has raised questions on the existing security arrangements in the city. It is being alleged that a PCR van was reportedly engaged in patrolling duty in the locality on the same night. But the police personnel could not even get a whiff about the miscreants who also made a failed robbery attempt at another house in the locality.
“They also took away my gold chain. When the miscreants decamped after locking us inside, we saw a police van and then we raised an alarm,” said Pupalata Mohanty.
A case in connection with the incident has been registered with Dhauli Police Station and further investigation has begun.
“Our effort is to investigate the case and detect it. We have also registered success in many such cases,” said Police Commissioner Satyajit Mohanty.