The Kharavela Nagar Police have arrested two individuals in connection with the daring pre-dawn robbery of a woman passenger traveling in an auto-rickshaw. The accused had forcibly stopped the vehicle, threatened the occupants, and looted gold jewelry and a mobile phone.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Santosh Nayak (30) and Sunil Dalai (28), both residents of the Kedarpalli slum under the Capital Police Station limits. Following their arrest, the duo was forwarded to court and subsequently remanded to judicial custody after their bail pleas were rejected.
Santosh is a habitual and notorious offender with a long criminal record. Police sources revealed that he has 19 pending cases of theft and highway robbery registered against him across various police stations in the capital. From the arrested suspects, police recovered a substantial amount of stolen jewelry, including one gold necklace, two gold chains, two pairs of ear tops, one earring, a pair of gold bangles, and a nose pin.
According to the police, the incident occurred early on October 30. The complainant, Hajera Khatun, and her husband had deboarded a bus at Vani Vihar around 4:30 AM and hired an auto-rickshaw to head towards Pipili. At approximately 5:00 AM, two miscreants on a motorcycle intercepted the auto in front of the Giridurga Temple on Janpath Road. They forcibly snatched Hajera’s purse, which contained the gold jewelry and her mobile phone. When her husband and the auto driver attempted to resist, the miscreants pushed and threatened them before fleeing the scene.
Following a formal complaint, Kharavela Nagar Police registered a case (No. 741/2026) and launched an investigation. By examining local CCTV footage, investigators clearly identified the notorious Santosh and his accomplice, Akash Nayak (alias Gunda), as the snatchers. After the robbery, they handed over the stolen gold to Sunil Dalai to sell on their behalf.
Acting on a tip-off, police raided an area near the ‘Mo Bus’ stand at Master Canteen today, successfully apprehending Santosh and Sunil and seizing the stolen gold in their possession.
The police are currently continuing their investigation and conducting raids to nab the absconding third suspect, Akash. Efforts are also underway to recover the stolen mobile phone, one remaining gold ring, and the motorcycle used in the commission of the crime.
