Rs 8 lakh looted from PNB in Gopalganj

PATNA: Three unidentified armed criminals looted around Rs 8 lakh from the Sasamusa Bazar branch of Punjab National Bank (PNB) under the Kuchaikot police station area in Gopalganj district, around 150km from here, on Saturday.
Kuchaikot police station SHO Awadhesh Kumar said the criminals entered the bank at around 12.30pm, took everyone hostage at gunpoint and fled with the money on two bikes.
“Prima facie, it seems miscreants have looted around Rs 8 lakh from the bank’s chest,” the SHO said.“Before decamping with the cash, the criminals vandalised the bank property and fired several rounds in the air. Three out of two criminals had their faces covered. There were 15 persons, including the bank employees, in the branch,” City SP Ravi Ranjan Kumar, who reached the spot, told TOI. “We have examined the CCTV footage. Two criminals had covered their faces while the third one was not visible,” he said, adding that police teams had cordoned off the area and raids were on to nab the criminals.