Theft accused convicted in 22 days

Bhubaneswar: A court in Bhubaneswar on Saturday sentenced a theft accused to 2 years 6 months of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 30,000 ending the trial in just 22 days of the case being registered.

The convicted was identified as Manoj Kumar Samantaray alias Minja. On May 4 night Sushanta Behera and his family members were asleep at home, when Samantaray entered the house to commit theft. He opened a box kept near Behera’s head and attempted to steal valuables from it. Hearing some noise, the complainant woke up and spotted the accused inside the house. He immediately raised an alarm and chased him with the help of a torchlight. During the chase, the complainant identified the individual as Minja. However, the accused managed to escape. Subsequently, when the complainant checked the box and other items in the house, he discovered that a Mangalsutra, a pair of gold earrings and a pair of silver bangles had been stolen. Minja was arrested May 9 and produced in court. Subsequently, a chargesheet was filed against him on May 15.