Bhubaneswar: Miscreants allegedly sneaked into the premises of government-run Jayadev Bhawan late on Saturday night, chopped down a valuable 30-year-old sandalwood tree, and made off with the high-value timber estimated to be worth several lakhs of rupees.
According to police sources, the thieves, believed to number more than two, scaled the boundary wall of the auditorium complex during heavy rains, which may have prompted security guards to take shelter, allowing them to work without immediate detection. The miscreants cut the approximately 10-foot-tall tree and fled with the main log, leaving behind chopped branches at the site. Surprisingly, though they used a chainsaw, the guards claimed they did not hear any noise.
The theft came to light on Sunday morning when morning-shift security guards noticed the felled tree and alerted authorities. Notably, there are no CCTV cameras installed on the Jayadev Bhawan campus.
The incident at the auditorium and cultural venue, situated in a sensitive high-security zone right opposite the Lok Seva Bhawan, in the heart of the city, has come as an embarrassment for the police. It is located just a few hundred metres from the Capital police station, with the City Traffic Police office adjacent to the premises.
Capital police have registered a case and launched an investigation. “We are collecting CCTV footage of the vicinity. Jayadev Bhawan is guarded by private security guards, and we are questioning them,” said Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena.
Recurring Security Concerns & BJD’s Reaction
This is not the first such incident in Bhubaneswar’s high-security government premises. In 2022, smugglers chopped and stole a sandalwood tree from Lok Seva Bhawan premises. Similar thefts have occurred elsewhere, including at the Odisha Raj Bhavan (Governor’s House) the same year.
The latest episode has triggered political reactions, with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) criticising the BJP government over security lapses in protected zones.
In a post on X, BJD leader Lenin Mohanty expressed deep concern over the incident, noting that Jaydev Bhawan’s location directly opposite the Odisha Secretariat and adjacent to the Traffic Police Office makes it a high-security area in the heart of the capital.
Drawing parallels to the reported disappearance of official files from the Chief Minister’s Office earlier, Mohanty stated that Odisha was now witnessing a “sandalwood theft case” after the “file theft fiasco,” which raises serious questions about the government’s ability to protect public assets and vital establishments. “The Secretary of the I&PR Department, who also happens to be the Home Secretary, should ensure that an FIR is promptly registered. Otherwise, after a year, some Minister may once again shift the blame to the previous Government,” he wrote.
This is a case of ‘Double Engine, Double Theft’,” he remarked.
