Bhubaneswar: Nayapalli police conducted polygraph tests on three household staff members of senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik on Thursday, following theft of gold ornaments valued at Rs 50 lakh from his residence here on Jan 26.
Police suspect the perpetrator was familiar with the house layout and knew when family members would be away, suggesting possible involvement of someone connected to the household. “Our investigation is in progress. We are working on some leads. The case will be solved soon,” deputy commissioner of police Pinak Mishra said. He refrained from revealing the results of the polygraph examination.
Although another theft attempt took place at Niranjan’s residence on Jan 28, resulting in the immediate arrest of the accused, police confirmed no connection between the two incidents. Police are under pressure as chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi has expressed serious concern about the theft at Niranjan’s residence and directed police to apprehend the culprit quickly. Majhi spoke to Niranjan and promised swift action.
The incident provided the opposition BJD an opportunity to criticise the govt regarding the law and order situation in the capital city.