Post News Network
Joda/Keonjhar, Jan 12: In broad daylight, armed robbers looted Rs 4.84 lakh in cash from State Bank of India’s Naradpur branch under Champua police limits in Keonjhar district Tuesday.
According to reports, four dacoits came on two bikes around 11.50 am. Aged about 25 to 30 years, all the dacoits were conversing in Hindi and Oriya. One of them stood guard at the entry point of the bank while three others barged into it and terrorised a woman constable Purnima Mohant, cashier Pradip Kumar Pradhan and another staff Tarun Kumar Barik by brandishing pistols and decamped with the cash.
Surprisingly, the miscreants completed their operation within 10 to 20 minutes.
Besides, they also snatched away Rs 3,000 and a cell phone from a customer Madan Mahakud. They went by National Highway-215 towards Joda. It is suspected the miscreants might have escaped into neighbouring Jharkhand.
Brach manager Mahendra Behera said the robbers first asked for withdrawal forms and suddenly yanked out guns and looted Rs 4.84 lakh at gunpoint.
Cashier Pradip Kumar Pradhan said the three staff members were bolted inside three rooms during the robbery.
Additional superintendent of police Dipti Ranjan Ray said efforts are on to arrest the robbers.
Champua sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) SK Panigrahi along with a police team rushed to the spot and started an investigation. Police mounted a search operation and started checking vehicles.
It is said that robbers escaped via Joda, Bileipada, Aseikala, Kandara and Basudevpur into Jharkhand. However, police have no clue about the miscreants.
It was the first robbery in the district this year while 18 dacoity cases had been reported last year. PNN
