Dacoits loot cash, jewellery worth Rs 74 lakh in Bihar's Champaran

MOTIHARI: Criminals looted cash and jewellery worth Rs 74 lakh from the houses of a businessman and a panchayat member in separate incidents in East Champaran district on Wednesday night.
The criminals also hurled bombs and made indiscriminate firing, injuring two villagers.
A gang of around 50 dacoits barged into the house of Dhananjay Gupta, a businessman, at Bhelahi Bazar near Raxaul and looted Rs 2 lakh in cash and jewellery worth Rs 50 lakh. Gupta said the dacoits were armed with khukhri, iron rod, pistol and axe. "The dacoits entered my house by cutting the main door and grills with a gas cutter," he said.
Gupta's son Aryan said the dacoits held his mother, father, brother and sister hostage and locked them in a room before committing the crime.
‘Dacoits escaped by opening fire, hurling at least six bombs’
“By the time the police teams from Palanawa and Bhelahi outpost reached our house, the criminals had fled,” he added. A police team headed by ASI Shambhu Prasad challenged the dacoits, but they escaped by opening fire and hurling at least six bombs. East Champaran S P Kantesh Kumar Mishra said the police also fired seven rounds targeting the dacoits, but they managed to flee.
“Two villagers – Balmiki Prasad and Mahabir Prasad – received pellet injuries and a car was damaged,” he added. In another incident, around 10 criminals entered the house of Pinki Devi, a panchayat member, at Sripur under the Ghorasahan police station area and looted Rs 2 lakh in cash and jewellery worth Rs 20 lakh. The dacoits also beat up Pinki. According to police, four robberies have taken place in Ghorasahan and Raxaul police station areas in the district in the last five days.
The SP said special investigation teams have been constituted to arrest those involved in the robberies. “It seems a particular gang is committing these robberies. We are in touch with Nepal police as the dacoits flee to the neighbouring country after committing crimes,” the SP added. He said suspension of SHOs of Sugauli, Harsidhi, Turkauliya and Paharpur police stations has been revoked and they would now be part of anti-dacoity squad formed to crack the recent cases of robberies.