Bhubaneswar: In a most daring robbery, a masked man allegedly looted Rs 2.37 lakh from Kandabahal branch of Utkal Grameen Bank in Odisha’s Sundaragada district by threatening the bank employees with a firearm.
According to bank employees, the accused entered the branch quietly around 3.15 pm, apparently posing as a customer.
Moments later, he pulled out a gun and threatened the staff, according to those who were inside the branch premises at that time. The masked miscreant then handed over a bag to cashier Mamata Bhoi and asked her to dump all available cash into it.
Rattled and scared, Bhoi put Rs 2.37 lakh from the cash counter into the bag and handed it over to the accused.
The cash acquired, the man walked out of the bank and closed the grilled gate from outside before leaving.
On receiving information, a police team comprising Sadar police station IIC Soudamini Nag, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Nirmal Kumar Mahapatra, additional superintendents of police Shant Nutan Samad and Krishnaprasad Mishra, Town police station IIC Sushant Kumar Parida reached the spot and an investigation was initiated.
A forensics team also went to the bank premises.
The accused has not yet been traced.
It may be recalled that there was an armed robbery in 2021 at the same Utkal Grameen Bank branch.