Ramakanta Biswas

Bhubaneswar: In the latest instance on how the capital city of Odisha is turning into a safe heaven for criminals, a 75-year-old medicine shop owner was brutally assaulted and looted of gold ornaments on the outskirts of the city on Wednesday.

The robbers stormed a medicine shop located in Balianta area and executed the crime in broad daylight. The entire incident was captured in CCTV camera installed in the area.

In the tape, two youths were seen arriving at the medicine shop on a motorcycle. Later, one of them entered the outlet and started assaulting the elderly man. He then snatched away a gold chain and a bracelet from the senior citizen and fled.

“When the man came to the shop, I thought he would buy something. Before I could say anything, he started hitting me on my face and pulled me by collar. I shouted for help, but there was no one to help me,” said the senior citizen.

“I feel very unsafe. Despite tall claims by the government, no arrangements are being made for the safety of senior citizens.  It is better to die than to be a senior citizen in this State,” he rued.

The frequent incidents of loot have become a cause of concern for the city-dwellers. In the past few months, several incidents of robberies were reported from various localities in the city.

On October 28, an engineer was attacked with a sword by unidentified miscreants during a loot bid at Sailashree Vihar. The senior engineer who works with the Central Tool Room and Training Centre had gone to pluck flowers in the morning when two miscreants attacked him.

Similarly, miscreants had looted cash and gold ornaments worth around Rs 7 lakh from the residence of a professor at the Odisha University of Agriculture Technology (OUAT) on October 29. Apart from cash and gold ornaments, the miscreants took away a laptop, mobile phones and other valuables from the house.

On October 31, three miscreants allegedly attacked and looted an online delivery boy near Patharabandha area in Bhubaneswar.

(Edited By Suryakant Jena)

scrollToTop