Bhubaneswar: In a shocking incident, unidentified miscreants reportedly looted Rs 90,000 from employees of a private bus service in Dhenkanal, Odisha, after allegedly spiking their soft drinks. The incident has sparked outrage and concern among locals, highlighting the need for heightened vigilance and security measures in the region.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the perpetrators booked the bus under the pretext of ferrying laborers between Bhuban and Jajpur. After paying an advance of Rs 1,500 to the bus employees, they reportedly offered the driver, conductor, and helper spiked soft drinks. Subsequently, when the employees fell unconscious, the miscreants made away with the substantial sum of Rs 90,000.
The bus was discovered parked near Nilamadhav petrol pump on Bhuban College Road, with the employees found in a critical condition. Prompt action by locals led to their immediate transport to the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Bhuban, where they received necessary medical attention.
Narrating the harrowing ordeal, one of the bus staff recounted the sequence of events, stating, “We were filling petrol when they approached us and said they needed the bus to take some laborers to Jajpur and also gave us Rs 1,500 as advance. They then ordered soft drinks and asked me to get some cigarettes. They must have spiked the cold drinks when I went to buy the cigarettes.”
Businessman Bimbhadhar Tripathy of Bhuban allegedly entrusted the bus staff with Rs 90,000 to deliver to a mobile dealer in Jajpur. The sudden turn of events left the bus owner, Deepak Kumar Das, in shock. He expressed unawareness of the substantial sum carried by his staff at the time of the incident.
Reacting to the distressing news, Das stated, “I got a call from an acquaintance and immediately rushed to the spot,” highlighting the urgency and gravity of the situation.
