Robbers and snatchers are now enjoying a field day here with armed dacoity occurring almost frequently in the district. Brandishing revolver and weapon, the looters are robbing the common people of their valuables and cash even in broad daylight. They are not sparing cops either.
The house of one Radhagobinda Madhual, an ASI of Pattamundai police station, staying in a rented house at Madhapur area under Town police station, was burgled on Thursday. The miscreants allegedly broke open the back door and decamped with gold and silver ornaments. Though more than three days have passed, police are still clueless.
Similarly in another incident , two miscreants allegedly looted gold chain from one SI of police Mahasweta Panda, while she was returning on Shyamsundarpur- Kajala road under Kendrapada Town police station with her spouse in a motorcycle on July 27 night after completing her duty at Marshaghai police station. The miscreants had allegedly attacked the couple with a sharp weapon and fled the spot after snatching the jewellery. Here also the police have failed to trace out the looters.
Again, two motorbike borne miscreants on July 4 night, allegedly looted at gun point gold of 80 grams and cash Rs 1.5 lakh from Anil Kumar Mohanty, a Junior Engineer at his rented house in Tinimuhani area. Police are groping in dark in this case too.
Similarly, two motorbike-borne miscreants on June 2 hurled a couple of bombs at the house of ASI of police Nrushingha Charan Swain at Bandhakata village under Patkura police station.
With the crimes increasing at a faster rate, panic has spread in the district as the people are feeling increasingly insecure. If sources are to be believed, as many as 20 gold chain snatching and house and temple burglary cases occurred in and around Kendrapada Township in last couple of months.
Meanwhile, the locals demanded before the law enforcing department to take necessary measures to control the crime in the township especially by nabbing the gold chain racketeers.
When contacted, Kendrapada SP Rabinarayan Behera informed that the district police have taken several measures to curb the looters. Four teams have been formed and they are conducting raids in different hideouts of the criminals. This apart, four motorbike patrolling squads in plain clothes have been deployed at the sensitive locations.
Night patrolling too has been beefed up in the town and its adjoining locality, he informed.