Burglar In Rs 50 Lakh Heist At Niranjan Patnaik’s Bhubaneswar Residence Nabbed From Andhra

Bhubaneswar: After 19-day extensive investigation, the Commissionerate Police on Thursday claimed to have cracked the high-profile burglary at the residence of senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik with the arrest of the suspect from Vijayawada in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

He has been identified as Shakti Reddy alias Spider.

The accused, apprehended on Wednesday, is being brought to Bhubaneswar on a transit remand. All the solent items have been seized from his possession, sources said. 

Police are yet to reveal further details about the accused, who is believed to be from outside Odisha.

The thief broke into the second floor of Patnaik’s house in the city’s upscale VIP Colony in the early hours of January 26 and made away with gold ornaments worth Rs 50 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh in cash despite presence of private security guards and tight security across Bhubaneswar for the Republic Day celebrations.

Chief Minister Mohan Majhi had then expressed concern over the theft and assured the former minister of swift action.

Notably, there was another break-in attempt at Patnaik’s another residence in the locality two days later and one of accused was caught while trying to scale the boundary wall.