Two held for cash loot in Janpath petrol pump

BHUBANESWAR:  Police on Wednesday arrested two persons for allegedly stealing Rs 1.15 lakh from a petrol pump in Janpath under Kharavel Nagar police limits on Monday night. They have been identified as Kalandi Sahoo and Ajay Behera, both natives of Balianta. Kalandi was working as a salesman in the petrol pump. According to police, Kalandi deposited the cash he had collected at the petrol pump and left early on Monday evening. He then Ajay near Ram Mandir where they allegedly hatched a plan to commit theft at the petrol pump. The two went to the petrol pump when the staff had left for dinner.

Kalandi, who was aware where the keys of cash drawer are kept, opened the drawer and stole `1,15,590 before fleeing. The theft was caught on CCTV camera whose direction they had changed. Manager of the petrol pump Subhash Kumar Paital lodged a complaint with Kharavel Nagar police on Tuesday following which an investigation into the matter was started.

Kharavel Nagar police station in-charge ACP Anup Kanungo said, “We questioned Kalandi whose claims about leaving early led to suspicion. He eventually agreed that he and Ajay committed the theft,” he added. Kalandi kept `82,500 and gave `33,090 to Ajay. Police recovered `82,500 which Kalandi had kept in a tool box of a two-wheeler parked at the petrol pump and `25,030 from Ajay. “A case has been registered and the two persons were produced in court on Wednesday,” Kanungo said.