Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, August 4: A gang of four men, who committed at least 14 burglaries in the past two months in the city, were arrested Monday by Commissionerate Police. Forty-two cases of burglary were registered against the gang so far.
Two of the gang members were identified as Nalu Swain (34) of Beguniabasta at Astranga in Puri district, and his accomplice K Simdari alias Tamada (22), a native of Palasa in Andhra Pradesh who has been residing at Raghunathpur in Infocity. Two others who received the booty were identified as Ashok Kumar Sahoo (32) and Prakash Sahoo (28), both of Sambhubharatipatna at Balanga in Puri.
Another member, Nanda alias Niranjan Swain (36), is at large. Most of the dacoities were planned and executed by Nalu and Nanda of the gang.
Interestingly, the gang members defecated in the house before starting burglary. “They probably considered it as auspicious. One of the members will defecate somewhere in the house before sweeping the house of its valuables,” Police Commissioner RP Sharma said.
“Pooping in the house was the most common feature of this gang in the burglaries committed in the city in last two months. This connected all of them,” Sharma added.
The gang members conducted recce of their target and sometimes took spot decisions if they found the house had no occupants, Sharma said. In one of the burglaries, a gang member allegedly raped a woman before decamping with valuables in September 2013. A case under section 376 (rape), 457 (trespassing) and 506 (intimidation) was registered by Mahila police.
The gang has been indulging in burglaries in the city since 2001. Burglary cases have been registered against the gang members at Sahid Nagar, Badagada, Laxmisagar, Mancheswar, Lingaraj, Capital, Infocity, Balianta, Khandagiri, Tamando, Chandrasekharapur, Airfield and Mahila police stations.
Gold ornaments weighing 200 gm, two laptops, three mobile phones and two wrist watches were recovered from the arrested men, Sharma added.
