Date:12/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/12/stories/2008081258270300.htm

Other States - Orissa

Over Rs. 3 lakh looted from petrol pump workers

Correspondent

CUTTACK: Like broad daylight bank robberies, looting of cash during transit have now become a regular feature in Cuttack city.

And with the introduction of Commissioner System of policing in the city, it seems the robbers have started using a new technique to carry out their offence by blinding the victims with chilli powder before running away with the booty.

In yet another such open challenge to police, two unidentified persons on Monday afternoon decamped with cash nearly Rs 3.50 lakh from two petrol pump workers over the Mahanadi Bridge under Jagatpur police station.

According to police, the petrol pump workers from Chhatia in Jajpur district were travelling to Bhubaneswar on a motorcycle to deposit the cash in a Bhubaneswar bank.

“Around 12 O’clock, two persons coming on another motorcycle from behind threw chilli powder in the victims’ eyes and snatched the bag containing the cash”, police said quoting the FIR.

This is for the fourth time during the past six months that cash had been looted from different parts of the city by using the chilli powder technique.

Surprisingly, the city police have not been able to solve any one of these cases although, two similar incidents have occurred over Mahanadi Bridge.