CUTTACK: Four armed miscreants struck at a private finance company located on the busy Nayasarak market here on Thursday morning and decamped with gold ornaments and cash worth Rs 10 crore without breaking a sweat.
The incident took place at 9.45 am, soon after the staff of Loan and Investment Centre of India Infoland Ltd (IIFL) opened office. With clockwork precision, the robbers carried out the heist in just 10 to 15 minutes and made away with the booty.
The robbers wearing helmets and covering their faces with thick cloth came on two motorcycles and entered the office as soon as it opened. There were barely about four staff in the branch. The criminals overpowered the lone security guard, confined him along with other staff in a corner of the office after downing the shutters from inside.
They instructed the officials to open the strong room’s lock at gunpoint. The miscreants picked big packets containing gold jewellery before moving to cash in the strong room.“They looted cash around Rs 4.30 lakh and gold ornaments worth Rs 8 to Rs 10 crore. Only few packets containing gold are lying inside the strong room. The exact weight and worth of the looted gold can be ascertained once the audit report is tallied,” said IIFL’s Nayasarak branch manager Satyam Pradhan.
Commissioner of Police Sudhansu Sarangi, DCP Prateek Singh and Additional DCP Trinath Mishra rushed to the spot. Police has started investigation with the help of scientific team and sniffer dog. Though thorough checking was conducted on the day by blocking all connecting roads to the city, no breakthrough has yet been made.
Police suspect from the modus operandi that miscreants had inside knowledge. They arrived just when the branch opened. The security guard who has a licensed gun was away on leave, while the one present had no resistance to offer. “We are verifying the CCTV footages collected both from the firm and nearby shops to get clues. Three special teams have been formed for the purpose and pressed into action,” said Cuttack DCP Singh.
The incident has raised questions over security measures put in place at the private finance company which was dealing with gold mortgage and transacted such huge volumes of valuables and cash. Sources said CCTV cameras installed outside the office were defunct, forcing police to examine the CCTV footages from nearby shops. There was no siren installed either. “It appears like a planned operation. A special team has been constituted and we are hopeful of solving the crime soon,” said Police Commissioner Sarangi.