A group of burglars allegedly broke into the ancestral home of retired IAS officer Mr. Bijay Nayak in the Haladharbindha area of Budanga village under Tihidi police limits, Odisha, stealing valuables worth lakhs. The incident occurred while the family was away attending a program for 2-3 days.
According to reports, the burglars entered the house by twisting open the metal grills of the gate. Items stolen included gold jewelry worth Rs. 1.5 lakh, cash amounting to Rs. 20,000, an inverter, and a television. At the time of the incident, neither Mr. Nayak’s family nor their tenant was present at the house.
The tenant, who also resides on the property, expressed concern over the increasing burglaries in the area. “I wasn’t in the house during the program. When I returned, I found the house had been looted. These thieves need to be punished as they are targeting homes here, and tomorrow it could be another house,” he stated.
Following a tip-off from a relative of Mr. Nayak, the Tihidi police promptly arrived at the scene. Inspector-in-Charge Mr. Prasanna Kumar Nayak confirmed that a scientific team had been deployed to investigate the matter further.
Mr. Nayak was the Private Secretary to Ms. Draupadi Murmu when she was the Minister of Commerce & Transport and Fisheries & Animal Resources from 2000 to 2002 in the Odisha Government and served as the Additional Secretary (Press) to her when she became the President.
The incident has raised alarm in the local community, highlighting concerns about rising thefts in the area. Police are continuing their investigation to identify and apprehend the culprits.
