Andhra Bank heist: 8 dacoit gang members held

Bhubaneswar/Puri: Seven days after the sensational heist in which 7 dacoits had looted cash and ornaments from the locker of Andhra Bank’s branch at Kaushalyagang on the outskirts of the capital city, a joint team of Pipili police and a special squad today nabbed eight persons including two prime accused.

Police seized cash worth Rs 7.80 lakh and gold ornaments worth Rs 70,000, nine mobile phones, four bikes, a hard disk, 11 country-made bombs and two axes from their possession.

Talking to media persons, Puri SP Sharthak Sarangi said acting on a tip-off, police arrested two prime accused from Ramchandi area in Konark. After interrogation of the two arrested accused, police later arrested six member of the gang.

He said the two prime accused—Sheikh Azam of Balipatna and Riaz Khan of Danagohiri village in Pipili had gone to the bank on August 15. Later, they prepared a blueprint. As per the plan, they purchased 11 country-made bombs from Jatni. A day before the heist, the six members of the gang had stayed in the house of Jaga in Nimapada and Susant in Kakatpur.

“On August 31, the gang arrived at the bank in four bikes and attacked the security guard. Later, they threatened the bank officials with sharp weapons and looted cash and ornaments and fled the area”, the SP added.

He said the police has decided to take the arrested members on remand for interrogation to get details of their modus operandi.