Two Held For Looting Gold Ornaments Worth Rs 52 Lakh In Odisha’s Rourkela

Rourkela: Two persons have been arrested in the alleged loot of gold ornaments worth Rs 52 lakh from a jewellery shop employee in Odisha’s Rourkela city on December 15.

The arrested have been identified as Abhiraj Soni (26) and his brother Ayush Raj Prasad (23) of Basanti Colony here.

Police have also seized 51 gold chains weighing 394.230 gram, 20 rings weighing 37.510 gram and 81.050 gram of gold, totalling 512.790 gram, from the accused.

According to sources, Pradeep Kumar Soni, who works in a jewellery store under Plant site police limits, had gone to Kolkata to buy gold ornaments along with an employee of another jeweller shop. They boarded Azad Hind Express on December 14 night from Kolkata and arrived Rourkela the next morning. The duo intercepted Soni, who was carrying 860 grams of gold ornament in a bag, near Railway Colony and attacked him with a knife. They then snatched away his bag and fled the spot.

While Soni sustained injuries in the attack and was hospitalised, the owner of the jewellery store lodged a complaint with Plant site police, which then launched a probe and nabbed the duo.