Two police constables in Orissa have been arrested on theft charges, officials said Tuesday.

Sambhunath Mohapatra, 49, and Subhash Barik, 40, posted at Bicharganj police outpost in Balasore district, have been accused of keeping Rs.123,000 and some gold rings that a man had tried to steal from a shop.

The constables caught Ramesh Kumar when he was trying to escape Sunday night after stealing from the shop he worked in at Balasore town, 230 km from here.

The policemen did not arrest Kumar or even take him to the police station. They took the stolen money and rings from him and allowed him to escape, a police official said.

The matter came to light when the owner of the shop lodged a complaint with police. Following an investigation, the constables were arrested Tuesday and they confessed to the crime, the official said.

The constables were remanded in judicial custody and police are now looking for Kumar.

--Indo-Asian News Service