Cuttack: A gang of looters is on the prowl, fruit vendors looted by drugging in Cuttack of Odisha. The mastermind behind the act has been arrested. Four cases of similar modus operandi of looting have been reported in just seven days. Reports say that all the victims are the fruit vendors. The unknown persons looted them by giving them either drugged water or tea. Surprisingly, they looted not during the night but on broad daylight and that too from crowded areas of the city like Bajrakabati and Badambadi. Some miscreants reportedly looted over Rs 15,000 from one Giridhari Behera, who was selling fruits on the Dolamundai-Badambadi route, by giving him water laced with drugs on February 16.
One Jagannath Sahu, a fruit vendor, also fell prey to the similar kind of robbery on February 17 while he was selling fruit near the Dolamundai electricity office. Likewise, the miscreants looted another fruit seller named Babuli Pradhan on February 18 after drugging him. Similarly, one Sradhananda, who sells fruits infront of the BSNL office in Bajrakabati area, was also looted after being drugged by the unidentified miscreants. According to reports, Babuli, who regained his consciousness only after 24 hours, is still undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital.
Such an innovative robbery incident has created panic among the local traders and residents. On the other hand, the Badambadi police has started an investigation into the incident. The police are checking the footages of the CCTV cameras installed in and around the places of robbery. They are also collecting information from the victim and the surrounding areas to get some clue of the robbers. According to police, all the looters came on the pretext of buying fruits and offered them the drugged substances after managing to get their trust and faith vendors looted by drugging in Cuttack. Meanwhile, the Commissionerate Police has advised people, be it the shopkeepers or general public, not to accept food or drink from any unknown person.
