Post News Network
Angul, March 22: In a broad daylight robbery, miscreants beat up a car driver of a Cuttack-based polythene trader and robbed Rs 4.75 lakh cash from him at gunpoint at Masjid Gali here Sunday.
Police rushed to the spot and seized an empty shell after trader Sumermall Agarwall of Mahatab Road in Cuttack lodged a complaint in Model police station. Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) RN Deo and IIC Samir Panda also reached the spot and conducted a preliminary inquiry.
A case was registered while driver Subhash Jena (35) and Agarwall were interrogated in this connection. Some shopkeepers in Masjid Gali were also rounded up for questioning.
However, with Jena constantly changing his statement on the robbery, the police were forced to pin the needle of suspicion on him. The incident taking place in one of the crowded areas of the town has panicked the residents as well as traders.
According to reports, Agarwall arrived in the town about 11 am after collecting arrears from traders in Talcher. Here he met four to five traders and collected his arrears before proceeding to Masjid Gali to meet another trader Bapi Das.
Agarwall got down from the car and went to meet Das but asked Jena to go to a nearest shop and collect the dues from the shopkeeper. As Jena was proceeding towards the shop, two youths appeared before him and tried to snatch away the money bag in his possession. As Jena resisted they beat him up and even fired in blank. Frightened, Jena lost his grip on the bag. The miscreants immediately snatched the bag from him and fled the scene.