Ex-hockey player Prabodh Tirkey's Odisha residence robbed; medals among things stolen

Bhubaneswar DCP Prateek Singh said, "Some miscreants have stolen valuables from Prabodh Tirkey's residence here in Bhubaneshwar when he and his family members were not at home. It seems that some local people have done it. A forensic team has reached the spot. Efforts are on to find the miscreants."

Bhubaneswar: Former India captain Prabodh Tirkey’s residence in Bhubaneswar was robbed of several valuable items including Tirkey’s gold medal that he won in the 2001 Junior world cup. The robbery was committed on Friday but came to the fore on January 21 after the caretaker of the house noticed the broken lock of the door. Tirkey and his family were away from home when the incident happened.

The caretaker, as soon as he realised there has been a robbery, immediately informed Tirkey about the incident, post which a complaint was lodged at the Capital police station. The theft has created an unrest in the area as his residence is located in a fairly safe locality with several senior government officers and political leaders also reside.

Bhubaneswar DCP Prateek Singh said, "Some miscreants have stolen valuables from Prabodh Tirkey's residence here in Bhubaneshwar when he and his family members were not at home. It seems that some local people have done it. A forensic team has reached the spot. Efforts are on to find the miscreants. All the information is being collected. Police are investigating and will nab the thief as soon as possible."

The police are investigating the matter based only on the forensic evidence as they have not been able to access any nearby CCTV footage in the nearby areas that may have captured the thieves in action. “A case has been registered under sections 380 (theft in the house) and 457 (lurk/trespass house in the night) of the Indian Penal Code,” an official from the Capital police station said.

Tirkey is an internationally acclaimed Hockey player in India. Apart from winning the FIH Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup in Australia in 2001, he also bagged the bronze medal with his squad in the 2010 Asian Games in China. He had also clinched a silver in the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.