₹16.86 lakh looted from BoI branch in Samastipur

Police said that a gang of at least six armed men entered the branch and took everyone hostage at gunpoint.

At least six armed men looted around ₹16.86 lakh from the Musrigharari branch of the Bank of India (BoI) in Samastipur on Saturday, said police.

It was the 13th bank loot in Bihar since January 8. (Representative image)

Police said that a gang of at least six armed men entered the branch and took everyone hostage at gunpoint.

BoI employee Abhishek Ranjan said, “They thrashed our cashier and forced him to open the iron chest at gunpoint. They also collected money from the cash counter. Altogether ₹16.76 lakh was looted as per initial counting. Further verification is going on,” he said.

On getting information, IG (Darbhanga range) Ajitabh Kumar and Samastipur superintendent of police (SP) Manavjit Singh Dhillon reached the spot and inquired about the incident. “Intensive raids are going on to nab the culprits. At least six criminals carried out the loot,” said the SP.

It was the 13th bank loot in Bihar since January 8 and the third in a row in a week. On Wednesday, robbers looted ₹10 lakh from an agent of a private agency Nakul Shah, at Railway Station Chowk under Sahayak police station in Katihar.

Similarly, on Friday evening, three unidentified robbers targeted a Bandhan Bank’s branch in Harpur Ailoth. They looted ₹4,000 and thrashed cashier Anil Kumar who resisted their attempt.