Sundargarh: In a swift operation, Sundargarh police arrested six persons within six hours of an armed robbery at a clinic in Dharuadihi area, recovering cash, motorcycles, and mobile phones from the accused.

The sensational robbery took place on the night of June 10 at the clinic run by Motilal Biswas under the jurisdiction of Dharuadihi police station. According to police, the accused entered the clinic on the pretext of seeking medical treatment and later looted cash at gunpoint.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Sundargarh Superintendent of Police Amritpal Kaur said the accused managed to flee with around Rs 1.10 lakh after threatening the clinic owner with a pistol. Taking the incident seriously, the district police launched an intensive manhunt under the direct supervision of the SP and succeeded in apprehending all six accused within six hours of the crime.

The arrested accused have been identified as Prashant Kisan (28), Sanjeeb Oram (26), Anil Oram (20) of Babuchakuli under Rengali police limits in Sambalpur district, Prakash Suna (26) of Shaktinagar under Burla police station, Suraj Oram (21) of Lankahuda in Sundargarh, and Leda Munda (29) of Dharuadihi.

Police recovered Rs 1.67 lakh in cash, two motorcycles, and five mobile phones from the accused during the operation. Officials said the recovered amount includes money linked to the robbery along with cash from other sources, which is being verified as part of the investigation.

According to the police, at around 8.15 pm on June 10, Leda Munda and another associate entered the clinic posing as patients seeking consultation. While Biswas was attending to them, another accused allegedly brandished a firearm and overpowered him. Meanwhile, three more gang members entered the residential portion of the building, opened cupboards and drawers, and looted cash before escaping.

Hearing the victim's cries for help, neighbours rushed to the spot, prompting the robbers to flee through a staircase leading to the rooftop.

Soon after receiving the information, Dharuadihi police reached the scene and began an investigation. Two special teams were formed, all exit routes were sealed, and a coordinated search operation was launched using CCTV footage, technical surveillance, and local intelligence inputs.

The police tracked the accused while they were allegedly trying to escape through the Kinjirma forest area and arrested all six of them.

SP Kaur said further investigation is underway to ascertain the gang's involvement in other similar crimes and to examine the criminal backgrounds of the accused. Police also revealed that one of the arrested persons, Leda Munda, had previously been arrested in 2022 in connection with the alleged murder of his wife and had recently been released from Sambalpur jail.