2 arrested in Odisha rural bank loot case; Rs 12 lakh recovered

Odisha Sun Times Bureau

Sambalpur, June 18:

Sambalpur police has arrested two persons in connection with the loot of Rs 24 lakh by masked armed men from the strong room of the Chiplima branch of the Utkal Grameen Bank in Odisha’s Sambalpur district on Monday.

The two arrested have been identified as prime accused Bibhuti Bhusan Suna of Khetrajpur and Asish Pal of Mahatab Nagar in Burla.

Sambalpur SP Prateek Mohanty today told media persons here that besides arresting the accused within 48 hours of the incident, police has also recovered a total of Rs 12,53,000 and has seized  two bikes, a single shot pistol and a few live cartridges.

He said the police will be soon arresting the other three accused. The two arrested had criminal records and were involved in looting petrol pumps, he added.

On the day of the loot itself, police had recovered a bag containing nearly Rs 8 lakh looted from the campus of the Utkal Grameen Bank.