Angul: A day after a meticulously planned theft at a state-run Boyanika handloom showroom in Odisha’s Angul, police are still hunting for a gang of seven women, who made off with around 25 sarees worth around 7.5 lakh.
In the brazen daylight theft, a group of women disguised themselves as affluent customers to target the showroom at Amalapada. They arrived in an Innova during lunch hours, when the store was lightly staffed. Four women first entered and began casually browsing the collection. Three others soon followed, posing as customers and engaging the staff with purchase inquiries. Meanwhile, the remaining four allegedly folded the sarees and concealed them under their clothes.
According to store manager Rashmi Ranjita Pattnaik, the thieves cleverly hid the expensive sarees, each priced between Rs 22,000 and Rs 40,000, that no one noticed anything amiss at the time. The gang then exited smoothly and drove away.
Only four staff members, including Pattnaik, were present in the showroom.
The missing items were discovered later during a routine stock verification. The staff then checked the CCTV footage, which had captured the coordinated operation in detail, including the distraction tactics and the women concealing the goods. The vehicle used reportedly had fake number plates.
According to reports, the accused may have fled towards Sambalpur, though their exact location is yet to be confirmed.
Earlier speaking to the media, Angul police station IIC Prakash Majhi said that an FIR has been registered in the case. Preliminary investigations indicate the involvement of an out-of-state gang, he said, adding that efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the accused at the earliest.
