For the last few months, Manoj Kumar Singh would spend a good part of his time telling people that the secret to a good, peaceful life was one away from crime. When he was arrested for burglary, therefore, the irony was not lost on anyone.
On Thursday, Bhubaneswar Police arrested a ‘motivational’ speaker who ran a YouTube channel ‘Change Your Life’. A native of Cuttack, Manoj Kumar is accused of a series of break-ins and burglaries — the latest being a newly-married couple in the city’s Khandagiri area. Police said gold ornaments weighing some 200 g, Rs 1 lakh cash, a two-wheeler and an iron rod have been seized. “Though he is an expert burglar and has at least 10 theft cases pending against him, he gave motivational talks during his free time and earned good views,” Police Commissioner S Dev Dutta Singh said.
According to the police, Singh was a “habitual day-time burglar” and was out on bail at the time of the incident. In her complaint, the woman, a bank employee, had claimed that the burglary occurred on August 14, when the couple was out. When her husband returned at 2.30 pm, he found 300 g in gold ornaments and Rs 5 lakh cash missing.
