Jaleswar: Banks in the fringe areas of north Orissa have become easy targets of robbers. In yet another daylight robbery, unidentified miscreants armed with pistols looted `9 lakh from a local branch of Bank of India here Thursday.
According to reports, banking transactions were going on when a group of five persons suddenly stormed into the branch. They threatened about 22 customers and bank staffers into submission by brandishing pistols,
eyewitnesses said.
They were taken to a place in the branch at gunpoint while the miscreants collected cash from customers and a cashier. The robbers were conversing in Hindi.
While the loot was on, the siren went off. Panicked, the looters hurriedly rushed out of the bank and went to their bikes.
At that time, a local trader Manoj Joshi suspected something fishy and deliberately hit his bike against a bike of the robbers.
The robbers wearing helmets fell down along with three hand bags. This led to a fight between Joshi and another local Debashsi Pal with the miscreants.
The robbers threatened them with life. Two of them managed to escape on a bike while three others sped away on another
motorcycle.
PNN
