Balasore, July 23: A burglary at a house in Baringia village under Khaira police station limits in Balasore district has sparked fear among local residents. Unidentified miscreants allegedly broke open the locks of the house of Ananta Kumar Mishra late Thursday night and decamped with gold and silver ornaments worth over ₹20 lakh along with ₹80,000 in cash.

According to reports, Ananta Mishra and his wife were sleeping in a nearby mud house when the theft took place. The main concrete house remained locked as their two sons, who usually stay outside, were away. Around 3 AM, Mishra noticed that the grill gate of the concrete house had been opened. On checking inside, he found that valuables and cash had been stolen.

Following the incident, villagers expressed concern over the increasing incidents of theft in the area.

Meanwhile, a suspicious incident was reported about 2 km away from the burglary site. Some villagers returning from Bhubaneswar spotted four youths near a market area and questioned them. The youths allegedly abandoned two motorcycles and fled from the spot.

Later, bags found on the motorcycles reportedly contained a crowbar, a cutter machine, drill machine accessories, and a sharp weapon. Police have been informed and further investigation is underway to identify the suspects and recover the stolen items.