Bhubaneswar: Police on Thursday arrested a 38-year-old man for allegedly stealing gold and diamond jewellery worth over Rs 50 lakh from the house of senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik in the posh Nayapalli area, here on Jan 26.
The accused was identified as Satheesh Reddy, also known as ‘Satti Babu’ or ‘Spider Sateesh’ because of his skill in scaling buildings like a spider. A native of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Reddy was involved in nearly 100 robberies across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Odisha.
The robbery at Niranjan’s house gained prominence after chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi voiced his concern about the high-profile case and promised quick action.
Initially, investigators had limited evidence, with only CCTV footage showing a well-built suspect covered in clothes and wearing a mask and gloves. The footage was distributed to police stations within and outside the state.
Based on the suspect’s appearance in the footage, police from Andhra Pradesh and Kerala contacted Bhubaneswar police, suggesting Reddy could be the culprit.
Bhubaneswar police got in touch with their colleagues in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala to gather more information about Reddy, who was out on bail, having been convicted in 11 robbery cases in his home state.
A special police squad spent 14 days in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, covering over 5,000 km in tracking the suspect.
Police commissioner S Dev Datta Singh said the investigation involved scanning footage from more than 400 CCTV cameras across Bhubaneswar, Sompeta, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram. “Our team verified over 10,000 mobile phone numbers and investigated about 50 suspected thieves across three states, including examining prison records in Andhra and Kerala,” Singh said.
Police detained Reddy from the Vizianagaram-Vishakhapatnam region on Wednesday before bringing him to Bhubaneswar.
DCP Pinak Mishra revealed that the accused is also wanted in a 2023 robbery at a businessman’s house in Nayapalli. “He specifically targeted prominent individuals in different states, primarily stealing gold. He spent money on women, healthy food and on bodybuilding,” Mishra said. Additional commissioner Uma Shankar Dash said that almost all the stolen articles have been recovered from Reddy’s possession.
Following the arrest, Niranjan took to social media to commend the police action. “I sincerely thank Bhubaneswar police for arresting the burglar. Their action is commendable and reassuring. There is, however, a growing concern about safety in Bhubaneswar. I urge the Odisha police to strengthen preventive measures, enhance surveillance and take proactive steps to curb crime in the city,” read Niranjan’s post on X.