Angul: Armed dacoits looted around Rs 8 lakh in cash and gold ornaments from the Indian Bank branch at Hari Mahuri Square here in broad daylight Saturday.
The incident occurred when the dacoits about six in numbers posing as decoy customers entered the bank after it opened at 10 am. They divided themselves into separate groups with one of them locking the main grill gate while another assaulting the security guard and hold him hostage at gunpoint.
Later, they threatened the bank employees and the customers by brandishing guns. The dacoits held the bank manager, employees and some customers hostage before decamping with the booty from the strong room. They beat up three bank employees after the manger resisted and forcibly snatched the keys of the strong room. They assaulted the branch manager when he denied having the keys.
The incident has triggered panic in the town with the residents visibly worried over the deteriorating law and order situation. Eyewitnesses said the dacoits, who came on three motorcycles, carried the CCTV hard disk and monitor with them before leaving the bank.
Miscreants had earlier looted Rs 23 lakh in cash and three kg of gold ornaments from the Andhra Bank branch on Shankar Cinema Hall Road here in a similar manner April 6.
On being tipped-off, senior police officials including inspector general Narasingh Bhol, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Harihar Pani and IIC of Angul police station Ramesh Chandra Bisoi reached the bank and started an investigation.
A sniffer dog and a forensic squad from Dhenkanal were pressed into service. Bank manager Smruti Ranjan Satpathy lodged a complaint in Angul police station. Police have sealed all the entry and exit points of the town and launched a manhunt to arrest the dacoits.
PNN