Rs 40 lakh looted in Saran, Rs 11 lakh in Supaul in 24 hours

PATNA: Unidentified bike-borne criminals looted Rs40 lakh from an employee of a private agency engaged in loading cash in different ATMs of a private bank in Saran district on Monday. The incident took place close on the heels of Rs11 lakh looted in Supaul district late Sunday night.
Four criminals on two motorbikes intercepted one Bal Mukund Kumar alias Mukund Pathak at gunpoint near Israuli petrol outlet on the busy Maraurha-Chhapra road under Maraurha police station area in Saran and snatched the bag containing money at around 3.15pm when he on his bike was on way to load the cash in different ATMs in the district.
Two criminals on a motorbike were following Mukund from the Axis Bank branch at Marhaurha from where he had withdrawn the money to load the cash for which he had got the franchisee from the company. A police team headed by SHO Arvind Kumar rushed to the spot and inquired about the incident.
The victim, stated to be a resident of Patedhi village in Saran district, later reported the incident to the Marhaurha police station. He revealed to the police that the criminals chased him on their motorbikes for nearly 3kms to commit the crime.
Saran SP Santosh Kumar also visited the spot and issued necessary instructions to the investigating officers. An intensive vehicle-checking drive was launched after sealing the borders of the district. “Raids are on to nab the criminals,” the SHO said.
Efforts to contact the SP proved futile. An investigating officer said the CCTV footage was being obtained from the shops and business establishments along the exit route of the robbers. The police have, however, failed to ascertain the identity of the gang involved in the crime.
On Sunday night, a group of armed miscreants raided the office of a private firm engaged in online marketing in Supaul district and escaped with Rs11 lakh. SHO Vinod Kumar Singh said on Monday that the cash collected from the agents was kept in the office shelf as banks were closed since Saturday. The miscreants also took away the costly mobile phones of the employees.
In another incident, a gang of armed criminals barged into a jewellery shop — Vijay Jewellers — located at Salimpur under Ujiyarpur police station area in Samastipur district and decamped with jewellery and some cash.The value of the looted jewellery was yet to be assessed.
However, one of the criminals was apprehended by some local residents. He was handed over to the police after being thrashed. The arrested outlaw was identified as Amit Kumar Sah, stated to be a resident of Begusarai district.