Nayagarh police cracked the robbery case at the Mandhatapur branch of a nationalised bank on Wednesday, arresting four accused and recovering the entire stolen amount of Rs 20.86 lakh. Raids are underway to capture four more suspects involved in the daring heist.
The arrested accused include Sagar Moharana, 26, from Jagatsinghpur district, and three residents of Nayagarh — Pramod Nayak, 21, Kartika Barad, 50, and Purna Chandra Prusty, 50.
According to Nayagarh SP S Susree, the robbery was executed by a gang of six armed men, including Moharana and Nayak, who stormed the bank premises at around 5:15 pm on Wednesday. The gang held bank employees and customers at gunpoint during the robbery.
Investigation revealed that Barad and Prusty, though not physically present during the robbery, acted as conspirators and facilitators, helping orchestrate the crime. Police sources disclosed that one of the masterminds planned the robbery to clear his loan burden.
The police have already recovered the entire stolen amount within 48 hours and are actively pursuing the remaining four accomplices.
