PATNA: A sum of at least Rs 1.33 crore was looted from ten different banks in 2017 as against Rs 1.21 crore looted in 11
bank heists in Bihar in 2016. The state police have, however, failed to recover all the looted monies.
Police officials attribute the poor recovery to the fact that almost all these crimes were committed by inter-state gangs which also operate in Rajasthan,
West Bengal, Jhakhand and Odisha. "The gang members flee from the state after committing a crime," a police officer said.
As late as December 30 last year, a sum of Rs 8.62 lakh was looted from the Punjab National Bank's Sasamusa branch in
Gopalganj district. Five days later on January 4 this year, a sum of Rs 50 lakh was looted from a UCO Bank's branch at Gola Road in Samastipur.
The Samastipur crime was grave in terms of the amount looted. On April 27, 2016, an equal amount of Rs 50 lakh was looted from the Axis Bank branch located in the
Kazi Mohammadpur police station area in Muzaffarpur. In another heist on November 28, 2015, a sum of Rs 42.77 lakh was looted from a
Canara Bank branch in the Sohsarai police station area in Nalanda district.
Two other major incidents of bank dacoity took place on February 17 and October 12 last year. On February 17, a sum of Rs 39 lakh was looted from a State Bank of India branch in the Chandan police station area in Banka district, while a sum of Rs 22.67 lakh was looted from an Indian Bank branch at Katra Chowk in
Sheikhpura district on October 12.
Sources said police recovered Rs 12 lakh of the Axis Bank's Rs 50 lakh and also nabbed seven dacoits in this connection. In the case of Canara Bank loot, five criminals were arrested but not a single penny was recovered.
"The gang involved in the Sohsarai crime also looted Rs 19 lakh from a bank in Jaipur and Rs 55 lakh from another bank in Bardhaman in West Bengal," the police officer said.
As for the loot in the SBI branch, police recovered 5.5kg of gold worth Rs 3 crore and arrested five criminals. These criminals were also allegedly involved in a bank loot in Kolkata and another bank loot in Dhanbad. "They would buy gold and also invest the looted money in real estate," the police officer said, quoting from the confessional statements of the arrested criminals.
In the Indian Bank loot case, police have recovered only Rs 8,500 and apprehended one Pramod Bind. His gang is also involved in incidents of bank loot in West Bengal and Rajasthan, police said.
The state police HQ believes the bank loot incidents have reduced in the last one decade. Citing data, ADG (HQ) S K Singhal said only 11 incidents of bank loot took place in the state in 2016 as against 23 in 2008. He, however, accepted that more efforts were required to crack the bank loot cases properly.
