Bhubaneswar: The annual Khandagiri Fair nearing an end has witnessed several instances of loot and snatching but the response to such complaints by Khandagiri police has left the complainants in jittery, Sunday. Jyotsna Mohanty, a sexagenarian, said that as soon as she alighted from a Mo Bus at Khandagiri Square around 5pm, a minor girl snatched away her gold chain and before she could stop her the girl disappeared into the crowd. She lodged a complaint but to no avail.
In another case, Sibhasis Mohanty, a student at Centurion University of Technology and Management, said two days have passed since he lodged a complaint at Khandagiri police station about his cellphone being stolen at the fairground, but the phone is yet to be located. “Being a student, I can’t purchase another phone instantly,” he rued. “Upon enquiring at the police station, the cops said a request has been sent to the office of the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) to track the phone,” he said. When asked, Khandagiri police station sub-inspector Amulya Pradhan said a woman gang is suspected to be involved in this crime. “Additional cops have been deployed in the area to keep vigil on any suspicious activities and detain the suspects,” he added. This apart, the cops at Property Offence Prevention and Detection (POPD) unit have been called to launch an investigation into these cases, he stated. A police officer, requesting anonymity, said in such cases a request is sent to DCP office for locating the stolen phones. The police stations here lack an inbuilt apparatus to track lost mobile phones; so the delay, he said.
DEBADURLLAV HARICHANDAN, OP