Sonepur: After six days, police got a breakthrough Tuesday in the loot of Rs 21 lakh cash from a bank staff near Baghalpur Chhak in the district. Police arrested five people, including an ATM officer, who was the mastermind of the crime.
Police recovered Rs 15.30 lakh cash, seized five bikes and 10 cell phones from their possession. This was revealed by SP Sitaram Satpathy here at a presser Tuesday.
The accused were identified as Uttam Kumar Deep (21) of Ambapakhal in Boudh district, Ambuja Behera (28) of Gohirpita under Manamunda police limits, Sardul Gaigaria (32) of Digi, Haribola Sandh of Khaliamunda in Boudh, and Sunil Kumar Moharana (29) of Ghodaghatpada.
The SP said that the mastermind of the loot case is Sunil Mohara, who is ATM officer of Writers’ Safeguard Agency in Bhubaneswar, while Ambuja and Haribola had drawn up the modus operandi of the loot.
According to police, Sudhansu Pradhan (30), another ATM officer from Sonepur block Chhak area, had withdrawn Rs 38 lakh from Sonepur branch of Bank of Baroda March 17 to replenish an ATM. Rs 17 lakh was put in the ATM near main branch.
Later, he went alone on a bike to replenish another ATM in Ullunda with Rs 21 lakh. As he reached Baghalpur Chhak, these five people came in three bikes and looted the cash by brandishing a gun and sharp edged weapon from Sudhansu.
PNN