Man tries to rob store after job interview to pay off bike loan

BHUBANESWAR: In a bizarre incident, a man rode over 35 km on his motorcycle from Delanga in Puri district to the Capital City on Wednesday, appeared for an interview for delivery agent in an e-commerce company and then tried to rob a grocery shop in Shree Vihar locality of Chandrasekharpur. 

The accused Ajit Swain went to Old Town for the interview and later on the day tried to rob Rs 20,000 from a grocery shop belonging to one Rama Chandra Sahoo in Chandrasekharpur. Swain was carrying a knife and a toy gun with him to execute the crime. Sahoo’s 12-year-old son was at the shop when Swain went there at around 4.30 pm. The minor raised an alarm following which Sahoo rushed to his rescue. 

Swain demanded the money from Sahoo and attacked him with a knife. When the shopkeeper’s family members along with some locals rushed to help him, Swain threatened them with his toy gun. However, the accused was overpowered, thrashed and handed over to police. Swain reportedly told the police that he was working with a private company and had quit around 15 days back. 

“Swain revealed he was unable to pay the installments of his motorcycle which he had purchased earlier this year. He had planned to pay  off the financial institution with the money he was planning to rob from the grocery shop,” said an officer of Chandrasekharpur police station. Swain has been detained and a case registered against him. The knife, toy gun and the motorcycle used by him in the robbery bid have been seized, he added.