Locals are raising concerns about the effectiveness of police patrolling in Bhubaneswar after unidentified miscreants forcibly entered the government quarters of Mr. Prasanth Reddy, an IAS officer of the 2009 batch, in the VIP colony of Nayapalli on Saturday evening.
Sources indicate that the burglars broke into the officer’s residence (Qr No- A/6) around 8 PM while Mr. Reddy was away on official business in Jharkhand. However, the miscreants escaped the place empty-handed for reasons that remain unclear. Upon learning of the incident, Nayapalli police arrived at the scene and initiated an investigation.
Security guard Mr. Pradeep Samal reported, “When I arrived at the quarters around 7:17 PM, I noticed the lock was broken and the lights were on. I immediately alerted my office and the IAS officer’s cook. A crowbar and a screwdriver were discovered inside the house.” He added that the intruders escaped through back doors without taking anything.
Mr. Reddy had served as the Private Secretary to India’s Former Vice President M. Venkaiah Nadu in the Vice President’s secretariat. The IAS Officer had also served as the Joint Secretary in the Department of Health and Family Welfare of Odisha after serving as the District Magistrate and Collector of Malkangiri.