In a dramatic turn of events on Wednesday afternoon, a gang of seven armed miscreants looted around Rs 22 lakh in cash along with gold ornaments from the Indian Bank branch in Mandhatapur under Ranpur block of Odisha’s Nayagarh district.
The incident occurred around 4:15 PM when the robbers, riding three motorcycles, stormed the bank premises and brandished weapons to intimidate staff and customers. Bank employees were herded together as the robbers demanded the cash box keys and looted the contents swiftly.
A female customer was also robbed of ₹20,000 in cash and a gold chain. Two staff members were injured after resisting the assailants and were later admitted to a local hospital.
While attempting to flee toward Ranpur, the gang’s escape hit a snag near Bousugada when one of their bikes skidded off the road. Alert villagers in Lembodi intercepted two robbers, beat them up, and handed them over to the police. Two motorcycles and cash bags were recovered at the scene, while the remaining robbers are currently on the run.
Police from Sadar and Ranpur stations have launched a manhunt and are investigating further.
