Bhubaneswar: Five days after the ‘Rs 12 crore’ daylight robbery from India Infoline Finance Limited’s (IIFL) Nayasarak branch in Cuttack, the Commissionerate Police cracked the case with the recovery of 2 kg of gold from the accused.
Briefing the media on Tuesday, Police Commissioner Sudhanshu Sarangi said four persons, involved in the loot, were apprehended last night. Lala Amrit Ray, an employee of the company, was the mastermind in the case, he added.
Sarangi identified the miscreants, who had come in two motorcycles and looted cash and ornaments from the finance firm on November 19, as Raj Kishore Sahu, Prakash Sahu alias Biju, Pradipta Behera alias Padia of Biswnathpur village under Kisan Nagar police limits and Biswanath Bhoi alias Bapi of Barigram area in Balasore district.
“Ranjan Behera alias Bapu of Biswanathpur village under Kisan Nagar police limits is the fifth accused. Though not directly involved in the loot, he had orchestrated the modus operandi. Both Lala and Ranjan are childhood friends. Lala is a native of Aranapur village under Kisan Nagar police limits,” he said.
Besides 2 kg gold, police have seized two motorcycles and the clothes they had worn during the loot.
CRIMINAL ANTECEDENTS
Stating that Lala Amrit Ray and his brother Lala Ranjan Ray had criminal antecedents, Sarangi said the Mangalabag police had arrested Lala Ranjan Ray for misappropriating about one kg of gold during his stint at the Muthoot Finance Ltd. Though Lala Amrit Ray was also involved in this case, he managed to get bail from the Orissa High Court.
LOOT PLAN
“Though Amrit Ray has been working in IIFL for the last five years, the company had no knowledge of his complicity in this case. Police during the investigation came to know that Amrit had committed several irregularities in IIFL in the last four years. But he managed to hush up the matter by greasing the palms of previous auditors. However, he was in trouble after a new auditor joined the firm. Sensing trouble, Amrit met his friend Ranjan Behera and told him about his plans to quit the job and requested him to hatch a loot plan. After preparing a blueprint of the loot in a temple, Amrit took his friend and the four other associates to the IIFL office,” Sarangi informed.
He also said that the Commissionerate Police will bring all IIFL staffers under the purview of investigation to ascertain the amount of the misappropriated gold and cash.
NO ADEQUATE SECURITY AT IIFL
Referring to the security arrangements in IIFL, Sarangi said that there was no adequate security. “All the CCTVs installed in the office were found defunct. There was no alarm system. Even the digital locker was lying defunct. Apart from this, the arms guard has gone on a long leave,” he noted.
Praising the efforts of the Cuttack DCP Prateek Singh and the officers for cracking one of the most complex cases in a short time, he said the Odisha Police have shown thorough professionalism.
The Police Commissioner also said that to curb criminal activities in Cuttack city, the state government has approved Rs 14 crore for installation of high-end CCTV cameras at sensitive locations. “The Odisha Police Housing and Welfare Corporation (OPHWC) has been entrusted with the task to instal the CCTVs within six months,” he added.
THE LOOT
On November 19, four armed miscreants had allegedly looted gold ornaments worth around Rs 10 crore and Rs 4.30 lakh in cash at gunpoint from the branch office of the finance company at the busy Nayasarak market. The loot was well-planned and executed in 10 minutes.
Also Read: Rs 12 Cr Cuttack Heist: 10 Minutes & All Gone; As & How It Happened
The following day, the finance company, in its police complaint, reportedly claimed that Rs 20 crore worth gold was looted during the heist.
