Titlagarh: Armed miscreants shot a bank manager injuring him critically during a dacoity bid in Titlagarh area of Bolangir district today. According to sources, at around 3 PM today, two miscreants wearing masks entered the Utkal Gramya Bank branch at Bijepur and initially sought details for opening new account and also asked questions to the branch manager on the procedure for availing loans.
Suddenly one of them tried to strangulate the bank manager with his hands, and when the manager opposed, the other miscreant fired three rounds at the manager injuring him on his lower abdomen, said sources. The bank manager was immediately rushed to Titlagarh hospital and later shifted to Bolangir district headquarters hospital where his condition is stated to be critical.
However, the accused immediately fled the spot. Although the amount of cash robbed during the loot is yet to be ascertained, police officials have initiated an investigation by collecting evidence from the CCTV footage and eye witnesses.
Locals said that the bank was targeted because it is situated in a rural area and there is no security. Moreover, the bank also has only three staff members including the bank manager, so it is difficult to thwart any kind of attacks.
Police have informed the matter to nearby police stations and a special team has been formed to nab the culprits.