Major Breakthrough in Odisha Bank Robbery Case: Two Interstate Criminals Arrested in Dhanbad
In a significant development, two interstate armed miscreants, accused in the high-profile January 19 Odisha bank robbery case, have been apprehended from the Nirsa and Sindri blocks in Dhanbad district. The arrests were made through a coordinated effort by the Odisha Police and Jharkhand Police, marking a crucial step in the ongoing investigation.
Details of the Arrests and Recoveries
According to police statements released on Saturday, the arrests led to the recovery of a part of the looted gold and the vehicles used during the crime. The armed criminals had forcefully entered the Bank of Maharashtra branch located at Barbil in Keonjhar district of Odisha on January 19. They managed to escape with an estimated 5 to 6 kg of gold, with the total value exceeding Rs 5 crore. Following the incident, a formal case was registered at the Barbil police station.
A special investigation team, led by Keonjhar Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Pratyush Mohapatra, successfully traced the criminals' connections to Dhanbad. Upon reaching Dhanbad, the Odisha Police team, with the assistance of local law enforcement, conducted synchronized raids at multiple locations within the Nirsa and Sindri blocks.
Identities of the Accused and Further Investigations
SP (City) Rithvik Srivastava provided details on the arrested individuals. The two accused are Raja Kumar Singh, a native of Jamui district in Bihar who was residing at Chasnala in Sindri, and Kunal Raj Verma, a resident of Nirsa. During the operation, authorities recovered a total of 288 grams of the looted gold, two SUVs, and four mobile phones that were used in the execution of the crime.
Raid operations are currently underway to apprehend the remaining accused and recover the rest of the stolen gold, as confirmed by the SP. Keonjhar ASP Pratyush Mohapatra emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, "The robbery, executed at gunpoint, was one of the biggest bank robbery incidents in the region."
This arrest highlights the effectiveness of interstate police collaboration in tackling serious crimes and brings hope for the complete resolution of this major bank robbery case.
