Bargarh: Around Rs 40 lakh were looted from Bank of Baroda’s Bhatli branch in Bargarh district late on Monday night.
The incident came to the notice after the branch manager of the bank K Dhan came to the bank this morning and found the lockers broken and the cash missing. Following information, a team of Town Police Station led by SDPO Suresh Nayak and IIC Biswamitra Haripal rushed to bank with sniffer dogs and a scientific team for an on-the-spot investigation.
After the primary investigation it came to notice that, the looters made their way into the bank by breaking the window and digging the wall. According to bank sources the branch was scheduled to be shifted to a new location in two days. While all other materials had already been shifted only the locker had been kept inside the old branch. Moreover the base of the locker had been dug to shift it. As far as the security arrangements at the branch are concerned, guards remain deployed till 11pm and the incident is believed to be happened after their leaving.
“The miscreants entered the bank last night after breaking the grills and decamped with around Rs 40 lakh. The branch was to be shifted to a new location in a couple of days”, said the branch manager.
Talking to the media, Bargarh SDPO said the bank authorities informed the police about the loot at 7.30 am. “After reaching here we found the window on the back side of the bank, grills and several locks broken. The exact amount of cash looted would be calculated after the bank authority give details of the cash deposited in the bank locker”, he added
He further said the bank authorities had not informed police about the shifting of the branch office. Besides, there was security lapse in the bank which also has an ATM counter inside its premises, he pointed out.