Bhubaneswar, Oct. 7: Criminals have changed their modus operandi. With increasing frequency they are attacking people in their homes posing as electricians or courier boys.

They knock on the doors of the unsuspecting victims and barge the house the moment the door is opened. On September 30, around seven robbers entered the house of Manju Bengani in Jayadurga Nagar of Bomikhal and looted cash worth around Rs 3 lakh and more than 800 grams of gold ornaments.

Before carrying out the operation, two of the looters knocked on the door posing as courier boys. Once the door was opened, they forcibly entered into the house and took away all the cash and ornaments, after taking Bengani, her driver and maid hostage at gun and dagger points.

Manju Bengani, whose husband Nilkamal Bengani, a businessman, was out of the state at that time, said they were surprised when the courier boys forcibly entered the house despite her driver opposing them. “We opened the door as we thought them to be genuine courier boys. Little did we know that they were robbers in disguise,” said Bengani.

This is not the only case of its kind. Several such incidents have been happening in the city. On August 13, a 19-year-old engineering student was attacked by a thief at her relative’s house behind Ram Mandir. The student resisted the hoodlums when they attempted to loot the house. The goon had disguised himself as an electrician and told her to open the door or else he would cut the power line. New to the city, the girl opened the door and was attacked by the thief with a knife.

Residents said it was very difficult for them to recognise the door-to-door service providers and hoodlums were taking advantage of this. “How can we identify them? The genuine service providers do not carry identity cards,” said Anil Nayak, a resident of Unit III, suggesting that the police should take steps regarding this.

The deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Nitinjeet Singh, however, said the city police had been organising awareness programmes in various localities in the city stressing security arrangements for apartment blocks. “It is not possible for us to provide security to every household. We appeal to the public to use minimum security arrangements, such as using door latches so that at least they can see the person outside,” said Singh, adding that people should only open the door after inquiring properly about the person.

A senior police officer said mostly it was women who face such problems, as they are at home during the daytime. “They must be careful about such people. Whenever they anticipate danger, they must seek the help of police,” said the officer.

Crime scene

On February 1, a goon disguised as domestic help entered the house of Puspalata Jena, 62, while she was alone and killed her by hitting her with an iron rod, after she opposed the goon’s attempt to rob the house

Last year, goons posing as electricians, looted a house in Badagada. The owner’s wife was alone. She was taken hostage and the house was robbed