BHUBANESWAR: An unknown burglar stole gold ornaments and household valuables worth more than Rs 30 lakh from former Congress State President Niranjan Patnaik‘s home in the upscale VIP Colony within Nayapalli police jurisdiction early Sunday.
The theft took place days after the Enforcement Directorate conducted a search at Niranjan’s residence regarding alleged financial irregularities connected to his brother’s business operations.
Niranjan reported that while he and his wife were asleep on the first floor, the intruder gained entry by breaking open a window on the second floor and took gold items stored in his son’s cupboard around 2 am. He said that the thief also took several thousand rupees in cash.
“My son was away. The second floor was vacant. We could not hear any noise,” Niranjan said. The theft occurred despite the presence of private security personnel at Niranjan’s residence.
“We are shocked that the theft occurred despite tight security in Bhubaneswar for Republic Day celebrations,” a family member of Niranjan said. “Upon reviewing CCTV footage, we spotted a single man whose face was concealed by a cap and mask. We are working to gather evidence about the thief,” said DCP Pinak Mishra.
