A shocking case of theft and deception surfaced in Bhubaneswar after an OLA cab driver fled with valuables worth nearly₹20 lakh, including diamonds, gold jewellery, and foreign currency. The incident occurred late Wednesday night when victimAman Kumar Agrawal, who had just returned from Thailand, hired an OLA cab from the airport.

According to police, the cab driverNaga (Nageswar) Paramanikstopped at a CNG station in Chandrasekharpur and asked the passenger to step out under the pretext of refuelling. As soon as the victim exited the vehicle, the driver sped away with his luggage, which contained valuables worth around ₹20 lakh.

Acting on the complaint, Chandrasekharpur Police launched an immediate investigation and arrested the accused on Thursday morning. The stolen valuables were successfully recovered. Officials revealed that Paramanik is ahistory-sheeter with four prior criminal casesregistered against him.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Sonali Singh Parmar stated that authorities will examine how a person with a criminal background was allowed to operate under a private cab company.

The victim described alarming behaviour by the driver during the trip, saying:

“When I started the ride, he quarrelled with me and even argued with staff at a parking area. He said he was a murderer and had been in jail. He drove rashly and picked fights with people on the road.”

ACP Parmar confirmed the sequence of events:

“The cab was booked from Bhubaneswar airport to Cuttack. The driver asked the passenger to get down momentarily and then fled with the luggage.”

Police are continuing their investigation and are expected to issue advisories to cab service providers regarding background verification of drivers.