KEONJHAR/ BHUBANESWAR: Six armed men stormed the Barbil branch of a public sector bank in Keonjhar district on Monday afternoon, held staff and customers hostage at gunpoint, before decamping with gold worth nearly Rs 5 crore and Rs 8 lakh in cash.The brazen heist took place around 2 pm, when five customers and 10 staff members were inside the branch.The masked assailants – suspected to be from Jharkhand – brandishing pistols, shut the main door and seized mobile phones from everyone and confined them to a room before targeting the bank’s safe deposit lockers.Keonjhar SP Nitin Kusalkar, who went to the spot along with his team, said the exact value of the stolen assets is being verified.
“According to the bank’s claim, 4-5 kg of gold linked to gold loan accounts, valued at Rs 4-5 crore, was looted. Multiple teams have been formed to track the culprits. CCTV footage from the bank and nearby areas is under examination. Given Barbil’s proximity to the Jharkhand border, we suspect the gang may have come from there,” Kusalkar told TOI.Sources revealed the operation lasted barely 15 minutes. Local residents and neighbouring shopkeepers did not even get a whiff of the incident. The robbers fled on five motorcycles, leaving locals to discover the crime only after they had left.Police authorities confirmed that the branch had no security guard at the time of the incident. “We have repeatedly advised banks in the district, including this one, to install advanced CCTV cameras, alarm systems and deploy guards. Unfortunately, this branch ignored our safety advisory,” Kusalkar added.Though no injury was reported, the incident has triggered panic among residents. Keonjhar police sound high alert Police have sounded a high alert, setting up blockades across Keonjhar and monitoring possible escape routes. Witnesses said the robbers conversed in both Hindi and Odia during the loot. Recounting the ordeal, bank manager P K Burnwal said, “They threatened to shoot if we didn’t open the lockers. Cash and packets of gold were taken.” On being asked about the absence of security personnel, Burnwal said, “Our bank does not have the provision of a guard at the branch. But our CCTV surveillance system is functional.”
