Cuttack, May 31: Police today conducted a polygraph (lie-detector) test of the domestic help of retired Orissa High Court judge P.K. Mohanty, suspecting his role in the robbery at the former judge's CDA residence.

Sources said the mobile phone of Justice Mohanty's domestic help Santosh Panigrahi and that of his wife were found switched off and he had also not turned up for work yesterday.

"We conducted a lie-detection test last evening and the results are awaited," said police commissioner R.P. Sharma.

Around eight armed robbers fled with nearly Rs 13 lakh in cash, gold jewellery and other valuables after tying the retired judge, his wife Sanjukta and daughter-in-law Shradha yesterday.

The incident has become a talk of the town as Mohanty happens to be a retired high court judge and is probing the alleged gang-rape and murder of a young woman at Pipili in 2011. Residents have expressed concern over their safety following the incident.

The police decided to launch "anti-dacoity" patrolling system at the satellite township of CDA from tonight. A senior official said armed police personnel would carry out an intensive patrolling in the CDA area and cover strategic locations, check posts from 10pm to 5am on a daily basis.

The patrolling party will check the movement of suspicious vehicles and persons and initiate timely action to prevent such incidents, the police said.

Sharma said it was suspected that a professional criminal gang was involved in the dacoity.

As the robbers had covered their faces, ascertaining their identity was the biggest challenge for the cops. Some suspects have been detained and are being grilled.

Sanjukta Mohanty, wife of the retired judge, had said: "The dacoits have taken away Rs 12.90 lakh in cash, gold jewellery including five necklace, three pairs of bangles and other ornaments."

"They did not harm us. When I pleaded with them to spare my astrological (zodiac) ring, they did not insist. While leaving, they asked us for the car key and escaped through the main gate," she said.

Four special teams consisting of senior officials of various police stations have been formed to crack the case.

Police sources said it was suspected that the robbers had arrived at Mohanty's residence in a four-wheeler, and after committing the dacoity, they had escaped in two vehicles, including Mohanty's car. They later abandoned the former judge's car at Rasulgarh in Bhubaneswar.