Criminals loot Rs 18.41 lakh from bank in Banka

BHAGALPUR: A gang of armed criminals looted Rs 18.41 lakh in cash from the Shambuganj branch of the Central Cooperative Bank in Banka district around 1.30pm on Saturday.
The criminals, who came in a sport utility vehicle (SUV) wearing masks, entered the bank premises on the pretext of opening an account. Soon, they held the branch manager, Mithilesh Kumar Jaiswal, and cashier, Jitendra Kumar, hostage before looting the cash.
Jitendra was hit by the armed criminals when he tried to resist, police sources said, adding the bank manager was locked in his chamber. “The criminals were there in the bank branch for nearly 20 minutes before fleeing with the cash. They locked the main door of the bank branch while escaping,” the sources added.
A police team led by SHO of Shambhuganj Vishnudev Prasad rushed to the branch soon after getting information. Eyewitnesses said the criminals escaped towards Asarganj locality in Banka in the SUV.
Banka SP Arvind Kumar Gupta said a special investigation team had been formed to crack the case. “Forensic science laboratory (FSL) team and dog squad have also been requisitioned for the investigation. Raids are being conducted to arrest the criminals involved in the loot,” the SP added.