Jharsuguda robbery turns murky: FIR mentions Rs 14L looted; police recover Rs 1 Crore+ assets

Serious questions have been raised over the November 19 robbery incident in Jharsuguda after discrepancies emerged between the value of the stolen property mentioned by the complainant and the amount of loot recovered by the police which is reportedly four times higher.

Although the police have been lauded for arresting eight robbers and recovering all the looted items within just nine days of the incident, the sharp difference between the complainant’s figures and the seized materials has sparked suspicion.

According to reports, an armed robbery took place at the residence of businessman Mukesh Buchwani in Vinayakpuram Lane on the night of November 19. The robbers allegedly threatened the family with weapons and fled with cash, gold and silver.

Also Read: Jharsuguda robbery case takes twist as Police recover far more cash than reported in FIR

The next day, Buchwani filed a written complaint with the police stating that around Rs 13-14 lakh in cash and gold and silver worth about Rs 20 lakh had been looted from his house.

Following instructions from the Jharsuguda SP, a special team launched an intensive investigation using advanced forensic and digital tracking methods. Within just nine days, the team arrested eight robbers and recovered Rs 37.27 lakh in cash along with 521 grams of gold. The seized gold alone is valued at over Rs 66 lakh. In addition, police recovered nearly 15 kg of silver, as well as firearms, knives, and other tools used by the robbers.

This massive mismatch has triggered suspicion. Whose cash, gold and silver are these if they far exceed the complainant’s claims? Did Buchwani allegedly underreport the stolen assets in the FIR to conceal income from tax authorities? If all the seized property indeed belongs to Buchwani, then what is the source of his income?

"The robbers threatened us around 8.30 pm with arms and looted the valuables," said Mukesh Buchwani.

"We conducted the raid immediately and didn't give space. We didn't give time to the accused. Had we cracked the case after 15 days, things would have been different," said Jharsuguda SP G R Raghavendra.

"Rs 14 lakh has been mentioned in the FIR. We recovered Rs 37.27 lakh. We will take his statement and initiate proper action accordingly," said Jharsuguda SP G R Raghavendra.

The issue has now become a subject of public debate, with demands for clarity and transparent investigation.

"The police might have seized more money and projected less. It points fingers to three to four theories. When a certain amount has been mentioned in the FIR, police can't return more. Then they will be answerable. Then what will happen to the excess amount? From which source did it come? Police have the accountability to explain about it," said Lawyer Pramod Mishra.