Cuttack: Commissionerate police on Wednesday arrested three persons, including a couple, in connection with a drugging and looting case here. The arrested persons have been identified as Itishree Sahoo (30), her husband Mahesh Kumar Das (39), and Narendra Moharana (48), who allegedly acted as the receiver of the stolen property.Police said the incident took place at a hotel on Haripur-Dolamundai Road under Purighat police station limits on Jan 10. The woman initially contacted the victim, Bindu Bhusan Nanda, on social media and was in touch with him for two months. She allegedly lured the victim to visit a hotel, where she allegedly served a cold drink mixed with sedatives to him.After he fell unconscious, the accused decamped with around 200 grams of gold ornaments, Rs 1 lakh in cash and transferred Rs 80,000 through an e-payment platform. The matter came to light after the victim’s brother lodged a complaint at Purighat police station. Acting on the FIR, police examined witnesses and verified CCTV footage from the hotel and nearby shops, which helped identify the accused. During investigation it was found that the woman’s husband planned the crime with her.DCP (Cuttack) Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo said, “Based on technical evidence and CCTV verification, our team traced and apprehended the accused. A substantial portion of the stolen property has been recovered.”“We have seized an electric vehicle, a motorcycle, two mobile phones, renovated gold chains and a gold ring weighing over 151 grams, Rs 53,500 in cash, and ATM and Aadhaar cards from them,” added Khilari.
