Cuttack: Armed dacoits broke into the house of a gold merchant in Kanpur area of Odisha’s Cuttack district and fled with gold jewellery and cash worth Rs 52 lakh after threatening the family at gunpoint.
As per sources, the incident occurred late Saturday night at Hatiapalli Chhak under the jurisdiction of Kanpur police station at the residence of Kailash Chandra Sethi, who operates a jewellery shop in the locality.
The jeweller in a complaint lodged with the police claimed that seven masked dacoits stormed the house late at night while the trader’s daughter was studying. The intruders reportedly threatened the family with weapons and forcibly took away cash and gold ornaments. The trader said the total value of stolen items and cash was around Rs 52 lakh.
Based on the complaint, police have launched an investigation and are examining CCTV footage from the area. A dog squad was deployed to assist in the probe.
Two of the masked dacoits were reportedly heard speaking in Odia. The gang may have been aware of Sethi’s routine of returning home with gold and cash each night, police said.