Odisha: Miscreants open fire in air, thrash bank staff before fleeing with Rs 19 lakh

Balangir: Throwing an open challenge to police, three unidentified masked miscreants allegedly thrashed bank staffers and opened fire in the air before decamping with whopping Rs 19 lakh from them today in Odisha’s Balangir district.

According to available information, the three bike-borne miscreants reigned terror at a deserted place near Bangala Chhak under Deogaon police limits in the district.

The bike-borne robbers waylaid a Maruti Omni van in which employees of the Tushara branch Andhra Bank were carrying cash to deposit at Bandhapada branch of the bank. Sources said the miscreants had attacked the bank staffers and then opened blank firing before fleeing with the cash bag from the bank cashier.

The car driver and bank staff sustained injuries in the attack, who were admitted to District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) for treatment.

Meanwhile, the police swung into action and conducted an investigation after the bank staff lodged a complaint. Scientific team and dog squad were engaged in the investigation by police.

Balangir Superintendent of Police (SP) K Siba Subramani rushed to the spot to begin inquiry into the matter.

Though no one was arrested till filing of this report, it is suspected that miscreants had pre-planned the loot as the bank staffers used to take the same route daily to deposit cash in the branch.