Police have cracked a house burglary reported in the Dhauli area of Khordha district, arresting a veteran property offender with an extensive criminal record spanning multiple police stations in Odisha.
On January 8, 2026, Smt. Sandhyarani Pattanaik (45), of Apsana Garden, Dhauli, lodged a complaint stating that an unknown culprit broke into her house on the intervening night of January 7-8 by removing the iron grill of a bedroom window. The thief stole cash amounting to ₹20,000, a 20-gram gold chain, a 15-gram gold ring, a silver chain and coins weighing about 50 grams, and several ATM cards.
Acting on the complaint registered as Dhauli PS Case No. 06 dated 08.01.2026 under Sections 331(4)/305(a) BNS, police examined CCTV footage from the spot and nearby areas. The footage showed a suspicious individual wearing a shirt, half-pant, and a deep green jacket with a logo on the left side, carrying instruments. The physical appearance and gait matched that of Niranjan Swain @ Nanda (49), a known habitual house burglar from Astaranga in Puri district.
Based on specific intelligence, police apprehended Niranjan Swain and his associate Munmuna Pradhan (26), a resident of Banafula Basti, Buddha Nagar, Laxmisagar. An auto-rickshaw (Regd. No. OD 02 DB2749) used in the crime was seized along with a crowbar, a silver chain, 15 silver coins, and four mobile phones.
Investigation revealed that Niranjan Swain has a long history of property offences, with over 60 cases registered against him across various police stations including Chandrasekharpur, Khandagiri, Dhauli, Laxmisagar, Tamando, Saheed Nagar, and others, mostly involving house breaking and theft under relevant sections of IPC (now converted to BNS).
Police stated the motive behind the crime was wrongful gain. Further investigation is underway to recover the remaining stolen gold ornaments and ascertain if the accused are linked to other recent burglaries.
