Bhadrak: Three unidentified bike-borne miscreants looted Rs 10.80 lakh from a gas agency employee near the railway line at Jijharpur under Tihidi block in Bhadrak district Monday. The incident stunned everybody as crime rate in the district had decreased considerably during lockdown. A complaint has been lodged with the Tihidi police station in this regard.
Sources said Pramod Bhanj, a resident of Bodak panchayat, is an employee at gas agency firm run by Paliabindha Rout. He was on his way UCO Bank’s Tihidi branch office to deposit the money on a two-wheeler.
As he neared the railway line at Jijharpur, three miscreants on a bike without number plates intercepted and attacked him. Before Pramod could react, they snatched the bag with the cash and fled. An injured Pramod raised an alarm. Locals rushed to his rescue, but by then the miscreants had fled.
Pramod was rushed to the Tihidi community health centre where he is undergoing treatment. Some local residents opined that Pramod should not have carried such a large amount on his own. They said his employer should have provided police escort for him before sending him to the bank.
Police have launched an investigation and efforts are on to nab the miscreants.
PNN
