Bhubaneswar, Aug 28: In a shocking turn of events, the Commissionerate Police on Thursday arrested a man leading a double life as a self-proclaimed morality preacher by day and a ruthless burglar by night.
The accused, identified as Manoj Kumar Singh (42) of Khajuripada in Cuttack’s Baideswar, was captured in a string of theft cases that rocked the capital city of Bhubaneswar.
As per reports, Singh was exposed after a complaint was filed by Subhashree Nayak, a resident of Khandagiribari, at Bharatpur police station following which a case was registered.
Subhashree, who resides with her husband Debabrata Mohanty, reported that their home was burglarized while they were both at work. Around 2:30 p.m., Debabrata returned to find the main door lock broken and the bedroom almirah ransacked. Approximately 300 grams of gold ornaments and ₹5 lakh in cash were reported stolen.
Acting on the complaint, police launched a thorough investigation, combining human intelligence with technical surveillance. Singh was quickly identified as the suspect. Upon his arrest, police recovered 200 grams of gold ornaments, Rs 1,00,000 in cash, a two-wheeler (OD-13-W-1744), and an iron rod believed to have been used in the burglary.
Further investigation revealed that Singh had mortgaged 82 grams of stolen gold at a UNI Gold branch in Nayagarh for Rs 4.73 lakh. The rest of the gold and the cash were recovered from his possession.
Police confirmed that Singh was a habitual daytime burglar, targeting locked houses after conducting thorough surveillance. On August 14, he arrived at the complainant's residence with his two-wheeler and an iron rod, broke in, and completed the theft in just 10 minutes.
What makes the case even more shocking is Singh's second identity. He ran a YouTube channel named "Change Your Life", where he preached on morality, crime prevention, and leading a peaceful life. In his videos, Singh openly acknowledged his criminal past while claiming to have reformed and urging others to avoid the life of crime.
A police official said, "By day, he was a preacher dispensing wisdom; by night, he was a thief, breaking into homes across the city." With over 10 criminal cases registered against him in areas like Nayapalli, Tamando, Bharatpur, and others, Singh’s arrest has uncovered a startling contradiction between his online persona and his real-world criminal activities.
