Burglars pose as wedding guests, steal gifts worth lakhs

Bhubaneswar: They were smartly dressed and played the part of wedding guests. No one had an inkling of their real motive when they greeted other invitees, or clicked photographs with the bride and groom at the reception in a posh hotel here. It was only after they left that the bride's family noticed some presents missing. Later, it emerged that gold jewellery worth over Rs 10 lakh and Rs 2 lakh in cash were stolen from the venue.
Following a complaint from the bride's family on Monday, Maitri Vihar police have now launched an investigation. "We never expected that the thieves would strike in a star hotel. Despite security measures and CCTV cameras, they dared to steal our expensive presents and cash. I request the police to arrest them," said Saroj Mishra, the bride's father.
According to Mishra, his wife was present near the place where the gifts were kept, but had stepped away briefly to attend to a guest when the theft occurred. Upon reviewing the CCTV footage, the family was shocked to discover the two unknown young men taking photographs with the bride and groom. The suspects then waited patiently for an opportunity to steal the items.
"They took a small bag containing ornaments and cash envelopes. CCTV footage showed them walking out of the hotel premises casually with the bag before escaping on a motorcycle," another family member said.
The hotel management said they are not responsible for safeguarding presents during functions. "As per our standard protocol, we advised the guests to take care of their belongings. They should have guarded their items as thieves usually look for such crowded events to strike," said a hotel staff.
Deputy commissioner of police Pinak Mishra said efforts are being made to identify the culprits, with CCTV footage under examination. He advised people to exercise utmost caution at wedding celebrations and not leave valuables unattended. "We are coordinating with Puri police regarding a thief arrested on Monday for a similar incident at a seaside hotel," Mishra told TOI.