Actress Swarnalata Biswal recounts her ordeal at her residence. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 23: Two burglars attacked a television actress at her Kolathia Housing Board Colony house in Khandagiri on the city outskirts last night and took off with gold ornaments and valuables worth more than Rs 3.5 lakh. The actress suffered injuries.

Khandagiri police rushed Swarnalata Biswal, the actress, popularly known as Chuni in the Odia film and television industry, to the hospital for treatment late in the night.

Chuni said she had tried to resist the burglary attempt but the thieves managed to snatch her gold chains. The victim said the attackers, who were in their twenties, attacked her with a knife and an iron rod. “I gave them a fight, but they managed to flee with the ornaments that they had already taken out of our almirah. Then they tried to take off the necklace I was wearing,” she said.

The actress, who has been acting in television serials Swabhiman and Apa, telecast on two private entertainment channels, said she and her younger sister, who is studying to be a beautician, were at home last night when the burglars broke into their house.

“We went to bed around 12.30pm and the incident occurred between 1am and 1.30 am. I think they sprayed some sedatives to make us unconscious. Consequently, we did not wake up when they took the ornaments out of the almirah,” said Chuni, who had moved to her present house around five years ago.

Chuni said the thieves entered the house by opening the back door. The thieves used towels to hide their faces.

“When I opened my eyes, they were trying to take off my necklace. I tried to stop them but I couldn’t,” said the actress, who has a five-year-old son.

Her sister did not wake up because of the effect of the sedatives. Chuni immediately called up the Khandagiri police, who came and took her to the hospital.

Chuni said the burglars had left a torch and a stick they had used to open the door.

Local residents said this robbery was the 10th in the area in the past five months. “We suspect these two youths of being involved in all the burglaries in our area because their mode of operation is the same. Despite our complaints, the police have not been able to arrest the culprits,” said K.C. Mohapatra, a local resident.