According to sources, the ATMs of Axis Bank at Tudigadia Bazaar post office under Khaira police limits and Punjab National Bank at Mangalpur under Soro police station limits was cut open using gas cutters. Around Rs 20 lakh cash was stolen from the ATM at Tudigadia by at least 6 robbers, who came in a four-wheeler. They also bombed the vending machine before fleeing.

Sources further said that Rs 12 lakh was filled in the ATM at Mangalpur on Tuesday. It is suspected that the same group of robbers looted two ATMs one after the other.

Police has launched an investigation and Soro IIC Pravash Sekhar Mishra examining footage of nearby CCTV camera to identify the culprits, who are suspected to be natives of Jharkhand.

According to the CPCB report, air quality in six urban areas of Odisha has been categorised as very poor on Sunday. Those places are Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Balasore, Baripada, Keonjhar and Rairangpur.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) value for Balasore was 334 while it was 333 in Delhi on the day, the report stated. Balasore was followed by Cuttack with AQI of 320, Baripada 316, Keonjhar 314, Bhubanesar 311 and Rairangpur 308.

A senior official in the department of forest, environment and climate change said that the air quality in these places appeared to have deteriorated due to some temporary reasons, including construction and other activities.

It may be noted that prolonged exposure to very poor quality air may lead to respiratory problems and breathing discomfort among the people.

As per reports, the tourists from the neighbouring state had come in a car on a visit to Panchalingeswar temple in the district. After offering puja in the temple, they were going to Devkund in Mayurbhanj district.

When they reached Kalakad on Nilagiri-Udala state highway 19, their car had head-on collision with another car coming from opposite direction. All the five tourists were seriously injured in the accident.

The local people rushed them to sub-divisional hospital at Nilagiri. Later, two of them were shifted to Balasore district headquarters hospital as their condition deteriorated. On being informed, police went to the accident spot and started investigation.

It may be noted that this is second accident on the narrow state highway in the last two weeks. In the last mishap, a biker was killed in collision with another vehicle.

As per reports, the miscreants, who had their faces covered with clothes, came to the ATM kiosk of State Bank of Indi (SBI) at Bahanaga Bazaar under Soro police limits in the district in the wee hours of Monday.

They used a gas cutter machine to break open the cash dispensing machine inside kiosk. After taking out the cash, they pulled down the kiosk’s shutter and fled.

As the two miscreants did not bother to tamper with the CCTV camera installed inside the camera, the entire loot incident has been captured in the camera. But nobody could know about the loot till late in the day as its shutter was down.

However, the owner of the building, where the kiosk was located, suspected about the closed kiosk as the shutter was not locked and informed the police.

A police team from Soro went to the spot and opening the kiosk, found the cash machine and the money gone. On the basis of the footage, they started investigation.

According to sources, there was at least Rs 20 lakh cash inside the vending machine in the kiosk.

The event organized by the members of the Balasore Chapter of the MPC College Alumni 1985-90 (Science stream) comprised fun games, talent show for members, kids and spouses and discussion on the future course of action and planning by the core committee members. Prizes were also distributed to the winners in different games at the venue.

Popularly called “Grand Get Together (GGT)”, yesterday’s event was themed “Sagar Kinare” and was a memorable one as friends from all walks of life descended at the venue from all across India and participated as they always wait for the annual extravaganza to happen and make everyone crazy during the entire day. They also went on a sightseeing near the sea beach which is well-known for it’s as the water recedes up to 5 kilometers during the ebb tide.

Biologists also report many peculiar biodiversity and species at Chandipur-on-sea for its unique geo-marine circumstances. Horseshoe crab and fast moving red crabs are also found here on the beach. The small township near Balasore also has a fishing harbor near the confluence of the Budhabalanga river at Balaramgadi.

Chandipur is also known for its Integrated Test Range (ITR) under the Indian Strategic Forces Command’s control at Abdul Kalam Island, which was earlier known as Wheeler Island. A number of Indian missiles have already been tested and launched from the ITR.

The members of the MPC College Alumni 1985-90 (Science stream) also enjoyed the typical sea food and finished it with the much-awaited “mudhi-mansha” (mutton curry with puffed rice) in the typical Baripada style as a remembrance of the golden college days during 1985-90 on the campus of their alma mater Maharaja Purna Chandra College.

All the members present at the GGT-2023 were also given a beautiful token of love representing the unique culture of Balasore of lacquer idol making by renowned lacquer painter and art culture activist Kesu Das.

According to sources, the 13-ft-long gharial weighing over 118 kg has been kept at an enclosure on the premises of the zoo.

It may be noted here that the gharial was trapped in the fishing net of some fishermen, who had ventured into the sea recently. The fishermen captured the huge saltwater crocodile and informed the forest department officials.

On being informed, a team from the Nandankanan zoo proceeded to Balasore to safely bring the gharial to Bhubaneswar. The zoo authorities received the gharial from the forest department officials. The rescued reptile is in a good condition at the zoo, sources said.

The incident reportedly took place at Juani in Bahanaga area late on Tuesday night when the woman, identified as Shantilata Gupta, was alone in the house. Her son Rajkishore had gone to Balasore railway station to receive his wife.

The miscreants scaled the boundary wall and barged into the house. They attacked the woman with sharp weapon when she opposed their act.

The robbers scanned the whole house and decamped with the all the money and gold ornaments. As per preliminary reports, around Rs seven lakh and more than 100 grams of gold ornaments were looted by the miscreants.

When the woman’s son and daughter-in-law reached home, they found her in an unconscious state in a pool of blood and took her to a nearby hospital. She was later shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Balasore as her condition deteriorated.

On being informed, police personnel visited the site and launched an investigation into the incident.

As per reports, Adwaita Das of Sarasida village under Jaleswar block of the district left the house to open his shop in the market in morning. When he returned home after closing the shop in the evening, he found the front doors of the house open.

On going inside, he found his wife Harapriya lying in a pool of blood. Shocked by the sight, he cried for help. His neighbours rushed to him and took Harapriya to the hospital at Jaleswar. But the doctors in the hospital declared her brought dead.

On being informed, a team from Jaleswar police station went to Sarasida and sent the body for post-mortem. During preliminary investigation, the police found that the lock of the box containing valuables of the couple had been broken.

Adwaita said gold jewellery worth over Rs 1 lakh and cash were missing from the box. The police suspected that the looters might have attacked Harapriya while they were trying to loot. They have launched a manhunt to trace the accused.

According to sources, the accident took place when a couple and their two children were travelling to Puri from Kharagpur to pay obeisance to sibling deities of Jagannath Temple. They were rescued by locals, who informed police, which then got them admitted to Soro Community Health Centre.

The family had to abandon their Puri plans and return home after being treated at the health facility, sources added.

The arrested have been identified as Sk Faiyaz, Sk Shamshed, Sk Murad, all residents of Balubazaar in Balasore, and
Sandeep Nayak of Patrapada in the town.

Besides 1100gm of the contraband, a Boxor M/c and other incriminating materials were recovered from their possession. “The accused persons could not produce any valid authority in support of possession of such contraband materials, following which
they were arrested,” an STF release said.

A case has been registered under Section 21(c)/29 of NDPS Act 1985 and further investigation is on, it added.