Five miscreants with masked faces entered the Utkal Gramya Bank (UGB) at Chipilima on Monday afternoon and looted Rs 15. 59 lakh from the strong room at gunpoint and then disappeared from the spot. Since security arrangement in this semi-urban branch was not so strong, it was easier for the looters to get their mission fulfilled without much problem.
There was a total cash of about Rs 24 lakh in the bank, but Rs 8 lakh was in a corner of the strong room covered with a cloth which the dacoits couldn’t see. Hence, they went with the rest Rs 15. 59 lakh, sources said. The bank consists of three staff only.
The UGB, situated 30 km from Sambalpur town, comes under the Burla police station, which is 20 km from Chipilima, where the nearest police outpost is located. At the same time, the place is connected to Gosala on NH 6 by a one-way route. Hence, in a well planned method, the dacoits looted the bank during the scorching afternoon, the police officers suspected.
After the incident, police from Sambalpur and Burla rushed to the spot and started investigating. “We have closed all the roads and vehicles are being checked at different points,” said the IIC of Burla PS. It is to be mentioned that miscreants have made Sambalpur as a soft target for bank loot. And in all the bank loot cases, the police have failed to nab the culprits.