The Dutch national, stranded in Puri for over two months after all his belongings were looted, began his journey back home after the Odisha police arrested the alleged robber, an officer said on Thursday.
The Dutchman, Anthonie Yan Arkel, 71, left for Nagpur on Thursday to catch his flight for the Netherlands on Friday morning.
He had landed in trouble during his visit to Puri in January when all his belongings — Rs 7 lakh cash, a camera and a diamond ring — were looted by a taxi driver.
Later the Dutch national approached the Puri administration and sought help. He also mentioned that he had already booked his return tickets to the Netherlands from Nagpur on March 15 but had no money to travel to Nagpur. The Puri district administration put him in a lodge and launched a probe.
According to the police, Anthonie reached Puri on January 10. In his FIR copy, Anthonie said: “I came to Puri from the Netherlands and stayed at Toshali Sand for one night. Then I booked one taxi from Tour and Travel in front of Toshali Sands and went to Bhubaneswar to exchange foreign currency and stayed at the taxi driver’s house.”
He further said in the FIR that, “after two days I came to Puri to the house of the taxi driver at Balisahi, put my suitcases containing Rs 3.5 lakh, wrist watch and diamond ring and a cash of 4200 (Euro), canon camera, dresses, nuts and medicines and went to Chandbali with cash of Rs 3.5 lakh and on the way back the taxi driver fled when I stepped out of the cab.”
Later with the help of the local police, he came to Toshali Sands and police took the photo of the cab driver from the travel agency and started a probe.
Acting on a tip-off about the whereabouts of the taxi driver, police arrested the accused cab driver Sagar Mallick and later he was produced in a test identification parade. The Dutch national identified him in the parade.
While returning home, Anthonie said: “I am quite happy now with the arrest of the accused. I am happy with the media and locals for their support. I have given my account number to the police. It's my sixth visit to India. I will visit India again.”
