The looter, identified as Hemant Das of Lingaraj police station area in the capital city, interestingly spent all stolen money in moving to cities across India and maintaining high-quality lifestyle, said the DCP.
Hemanta had started taking up stealing as a profession during his college life in eighties when he was sent to jail in connection with campus violence case.
“Hemant made friends with a smuggler during his stay in the jail and, following his release, he took up theft profession with the friend’s support. He never pursued education again,” said DCP quoting Hemant’s admission.
The DCP said he committed about 500 cash thefts successfully in different districts in Odisha and outside during the last 33 years. He was arrested by Bhubaneswar police in 2018 and Puri police in 2020. Months after he was released, he stole away Rs 1,36,000 from a clinic in Chandrasekharpur area in July this year. Subsequently, he committed loot of Rs 1,00,000 in Capital police station area and Rs 36,000 in Bargarh PS area. There are more than 100 cases pending against him at different police station in Bhubaneswar, he added.
“Hemanta was always stealing cash only. He was committing the illegal act alone and was never going home. He was known as crowbar man as he was committing the crime alone,” said the DCP.
So far, Hemant has stolen five to six crores of rupees and spent almost all the stolen money in moving to cities across the country and staying in luxurious hotels. He has already visited Kolkata, Shimla, Mumbai, Chennai, Bihar, Gangtok, Jammu and Kashmir. He also committed stealing in Chennai and Mumbai.
The DCP said special squad of the Commissionerate nabbed Hemant when he was planning to commit a theft in Cuttac. Rs 1,400 only could be found from Hemant’s bank account during the search, said the DCP.
