Bhadrak: Residents of a village in Odisha’s Bhadrak district used a drone to monitor the movement of a thief, who had taken refuge in a pond after stealing midday meal rice from a school.
Sources said the villagers captured the thief after monitoring his movement for hours through the drone at Charibatia village under the jurisdiction of Naikanidihi police station on Wednesday.
Locals said four miscreants attempted to steal rice stored at the village school in the wee hours. When some villagers spotted them and raised an alarm, the thieves tried to flee. Though two of them managed to escape, one jumped into a nearby pond while another was caught by the villagers.
In order to capture the thief who was hiding in the pond, the villagers surrounded the water body and devised a strategy to nab him. They set dry grass on fire around the water body to prevent any possible escape routes. Simultaneously, a drone camera was deployed for aerial surveillance, ensuring that the thief remained under constant watch.
After remaining in the pond for nearly two hours, the thief eventually came out. The villagers then overpowered him and handed him over to the police.
During interrogation, the two accused revealed their involvement in multiple thefts. They were targeting school supplies meant for the midday meal scheme.
