Miscreants snatched Rs 19.84 lakh from the employees of Phasimal lAMPS (local Area Multipurpose Society) on Tuesday when they were going to deposit the cash in Jamankira Cooperative Bank.
The incident took place at about 11. 30 am near Kuanagola village. This is the third incident of almost similar nature in quick interval. As per sources, manager of lAMPS with a staff and the driver of a hired Van were going to the Jamankira Cooperative Bank with cash.
Two youths coming by bikes at gunpoint forced them to hand over the money. The panicked staff had no other option than giving away the entire cash. The criminal duo then decamped with the cash.
Getting information from the lAMPS staff, the police at Jamankira sealed the major roads and intimated their counterparts in the neighbouring districts of Deogarh and Jharsuguda. But this didn’t yield any results. “However, we are making all-out efforts to nab the culprits,” said SP of Sambalpur Pratik Kumar Mohanty.
It needs mention that there were standing instructions from the police to all banks and the even business houses and individuals to take necessary help and security from police while transacting cash. But in this case, the lAMPS staff didn’t feel the necessity to do so.
As per the latest information, the police detained one of the culprits who is a resident of the Budharaja area of Sambalpur town. The second accused is from Hirakud, the police said. The cash has not been recovered as the detained person he said that they threw the entire cash in the forest. The police forces are searching for the cash as per the version of the detained accused, the SP informed. “The next man is still at large, and once he is nabbed, the cash could be recovered,” said the SP from the spot.