Bhubaneswar: The local youths foiled a major loot from the State Bank of India’s (SBI) Balianta branch, on the outskirts of the city, on Tuesday evening.
According to sources, Uma Shankar Parida of Patana village under Balianta police limits barged into the bank near Panchamukhi Apartment in Atalagada area around 5 pm and stabbed the peon Gangadhar Behera with a knife.
When the alarmed bank staff shouted, he threatened to kill the peon. After locking up the branch manager and two staff inside the record room, he looted Rs 8 lakh from the cash drawer and gold ornaments from the locker.
As soon as Parida fled the bank, the bank staff shouted for help and informed some youths of Jagannathpur village about the incident.
The youths of Jagannathpur village and some playing inside Panchamukhi Apartment premises chased Parida. They soon caught hold of him and severely thrashed him before handing him over to police.
Balianta police station IIC Yuvaraj Swain and OIC of Pahala Outpost arrested Parida and seized cash worth Rs 8.63 lakh, gold ornaments, a knife, a toy pistol and a bike from his possession.
The injured peon was later admitted to a nearby government hospital.
Police later collected detailed information from the bank manager and staff about the incident.
