At least six Bengali-speaking Muslim youths claiming to be natives of different parts of neighbouring West Bengal were arrested here by the Commissionerate Police on Monday on the charges of housebreaking and theft.
“These are the members of a gang involved in housebreaking and theft at the CDA’s satellite city at Abhinav Bidanasi,” informed Cuttack DCP Sanjeev Arora, adding that a key accused believed to be the gang leader escaped from the police dragnet.
Describing their modus operandi, Arora said these rogues move around as vendors throughout the day identifying the vulnerable and locked houses. later at night, they break open the window grilles of the targeted houses to commit robbery. Police seized from them some grill cutting instruments, stolen jewelleries and cash. On interrogation, they admitted their involvement in several cases reported within the Markatnagar police limits, police said.
Interestingly, these criminals, when confronted about their identities, promptly pulled out suspicious voter identity cards from their pockets to claim that they are from West Bengal. A proper scrutiny of these doubtful I-cards may reveal the nationality of these rogues as many Bangladeshis are now roaming in the city as vendors.