Sundargarh: In a swift and coordinated operation, police on Thursday arrested six persons involved in an armed robbery at a private clinic at Dharuadihi in Odisha’s Sundargarh district and recovered the entire looted cash and valuables within six hours.
The sensational robbery took place on the night of Wednesday at the clinic run by Motilal Biswas under the jurisdiction of Dharuadihi police station. The accused entered the clinic on the pretext of seeking medical treatment and later looted cash at gunpoint.
Sundargarh Superintendent of Police Amritpal Kaur said the accused fled with over Rs 1.10 lakh after threatening the clinic owner with a pistol.
Acting swiftly, the district police launched an intensive manhunt under the direct supervision of the SP and succeeded in apprehending all six accused within six hours of the crime.
The arrested accused have been identified as Prashant Kisan (28), Sanjeeb Oram (26), Anil Oram (20) of Babuchakuli under Rengali area in Sambalpur district, Prakash Suna (26) of Shaktinagar under Burla police station, Suraj Oram (21) of Lankahuda in Sundargarh, and Leda Munda (29) of Dharuadihi.
Police recovered Rs 1.67 lakh in cash, two motorcycles, and five mobile phones from the accused during the operation. Officials said the recovered amount includes money linked to the robbery along with cash from other sources, which is being verified as part of the investigation.
Sharing details about the incident, police said Leda Munda and another associate entered the clinic posing as patients seeking consultation. While Biswas was attending to them, another accused allegedly brandished a firearm and overpowered him. Three more gang members then entered the residential portion of the building, opened cupboards and drawers, and looted cash before escaping.
Hearing the victim’s cries for help, neighbours rushed to the spot, prompting the robbers to flee through a staircase leading to the rooftop.
After receiving the information, a police team from Dharuadihi rushed to the spot and began an investigation. Two special teams were formed, all exit routes were sealed, and a coordinated search operation was launched using CCTV footage, technical surveillance, and local intelligence inputs.
The police tracked the accused while they were allegedly trying to escape through a forest area and arrested all six of them.
Further investigation is underway to ascertain the gang’s involvement in other similar crimes and to examine the criminal backgrounds of the accused.
Police also revealed that one of the arrested persons, Leda Munda, had previously been arrested in 2022 in connection with the alleged murder of his wife and had recently been released from Sambalpur jail.
