Rourkela: A six member gang of armed dacoits looted about Rs 15 lakh from the SBI branch at Balinga in Sundargarh district, about 150 km from here today. The dacoits aged between 25 an 35 years entered the bank at about 2.45 pm and asked about 30 customers and six bank staffs at gun point to get into an adjacent room, police said.
The security guard was assaulted and kept at bay at gun point while the cash officer sustained injury after being beaten up by the criminals as he resited them. The dacoits were speaking in Hindi. Two of them were carrying sten-guns while four held pistols. After half-an-hour operation, they decamped with the booty riding motorbikes.
Besides, the dacoits also snatched the mobile sets from all customers and bank staffs before putting them into a room. They dumped five mobile sets in a water bucket and took away about 30 mobiles.