Cash, gold ornaments and valuables worth more than Rs 50 lakh were stolen from the residence of former minister and senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik in Bhubaneswar's Nayapalli area on Sunday morning, police said. Speaking to reporters, Patnaik said the theft took place on the second floor while he and his wife were asleep on the first. Private security personnel were stationed on the ground floor and there was no one else was in the house at that time, he added.

"The thief entered the second floor, where my elder son and his family reside. However, they were not at home at that time," Patnaik added. CCTV camera footage showed that the man entered the house around 2:40 am. He made his way to the second floor, entered a bedroom and stole gold ornaments and cash stored in a locker. Patnaik said, "It was fortunate that no one was on the second floor at the time. Otherwise, things could have turned worse." The Congress leader also pointed out that the robbery took place despite heightened security measures in place across the city for the Republic Day celebrations.