Bihar: Dacoits loot Rs 17 lakh from Bandhan bank in Muzaffarpur, vendor shot at while fleeing

PATNA: At least five unidentified armed criminals looted Rs 17.29 lakh from Bandhan bank branch located at market area of Donawa under Sakra police station area in Muzaffarpur on Friday.
The incident took place hardly within 16 hours of killing a trader Abhishek Agarwal by shooting in head after looting Rs 70,000 from him in BB collegiate lane under Town police station area of Muzaffarpur on Thursday night.
During Friday’s dacoity, criminals also shot at a roadside egg vendor Rajesh Kumar (40) who had caught one of them after fist-fight and had slammed him on ground.
One Santosh Kumar accompanying Rajesh in ambulance told this newspaper over phone that he sustained one bullet injury in chest.
“We are on way to Patna Medical College and Hospital where he has been referred from Muzaffarpur due to critical condition,” he added.
The loot amount might had been more than Rs 32 lakh if bank manager Rathin Das had not shown presence of mind.
“I was sitting with a customer inside chamber when criminals barged inside at around 12.30pm. They called everyone out and made them stand at one place. I also followed behind a customer,” he said while talking to TOI over phone.
Das said criminals started pressuring for giving keys to open the locked iron vault.
“I replied that manager has keys and he had went out for work some minutes back. A female customer also mustered courage to support me by addressing criminals that had they arrived 15 minutes back, they could had got hold of manager,” he said.
Das said criminals got convinced and didn’t ask for vault keys anymore which had more than Rs 15 lakh kept inside.
“They only focused on money at cash counter and fled. Altogether Rs 17,29,090 was looted. Hardly three four customers were inside bank that moment as it was namaz time for people in the area. Other times, the footfall in branch remains high,” he said.
The manager said criminals tried to lock them inside but could not as shutter was locked using a chain.
“As soon as they left, we rushed outside and raised alarm alerting others,” Das said.
Meanwhile Sudhir Kumar, owner of a general store below the bank, told this newspaper over phone that several persons gathered and started chasing after coming to know about loot.
“Five criminals came out of branch. They had reached on two bikes but one of them didn’t start while fleeing. This gave us chance to chase them,” he said.
Sudhir said Rajesh got hold of one of the criminals and pinned him down on ground but he pulled out a pistol and shot the vendor in chest.
“Criminals opened fire several rounds after which we backed off. All five hopped on one bike and fled,” he said.
When asked, Sakra police station SHO Ramnath Prasad said police has identified the criminals involved in loot with help of CCTV camera footages of branch.
“Criminals had stayed hardly for six minutes inside branch. Bike left by criminals at spot was seized,” he said.
Muzaffarpur DSP (east) Manoj Kumar Pandey said raids were going on at suspected places of hideout. “The person shot by criminals during loot is under treatment,” he said.