Keonjhar: In a shocking late-night armed robbery, eight masked assailants stormed the home of a businessman in Odisha’s Keonjhar district, held his family at gunpoint, and decamped with cash and gold jewellery valued at nearly Rs 18 lakh.
The incident occurred in Bayapandadhar village under Telkoi block, near the National Highway, late Sunday night.
According to sources, the eight masked men gained
access to Sangram Kesari Nayak’s house on the pretext of requesting for drinking water, claiming that one member of their group had fainted. Once inside the house, the gang reportedly brandished firearms, threatened the family members, and kept them hostage while thoroughly ransacking the premises. They fled into the darkness with Rs 6.8 lakh in cash and gold ornaments estimated to be worth around Rs 11 lakh, leaving the household traumatised.
The house owner said that seven of the robbers were wearing masks, while one had his face uncovered. The miscreants were armed with guns and restored to blank firing to threaten the family. They also destroyed the CCTV camera at their house, he added.
On being informed, Shuakathi police reached the spot and launched an investigation to identify the culprits.