In a significant breakthrough, two armed miscreants accused in the high-profile January 19 bank robbery in Odisha's Keonjhar district have been successfully apprehended from the Nirsa and Sindri blocks in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district. This arrest came as a result of a meticulously coordinated joint operation conducted by the police forces of both states, demonstrating effective inter-state collaboration in tackling serious crimes.
Details of the Arrest and Recovery
According to police statements released on Saturday, a portion of the looted gold and the vehicles utilized during the criminal act have been recovered. The armed criminals had forcibly entered the public sector bank's Barbil branch in Keonjhar on January 19, making off with an estimated 5 to 6 kilograms of gold, valued at over Rs 5 crore, along with Rs 8 lakh in cash. Following the incident, a formal case was registered at the Barbil police station to initiate investigations.
Tracking the Robbers to Dhanbad
A special investigation team, spearheaded by Keonjhar ASP Pratyush Mohapatra, diligently traced the robbers' connections to Dhanbad. The Odisha police team subsequently traveled to Dhanbad and, with crucial assistance from the local police, executed synchronized raids at multiple locations within the Nirsa and Sindri blocks. These coordinated efforts were pivotal in locating and detaining the suspects.
Identification of the Accused and Seized Items
SP (city) Rithvik Srivastava provided detailed information regarding the arrests. The two accused individuals are Raja Kumar Singh, originally from Jamui district in Bihar but currently residing at Chasnala in Sindri, Dhanbad, and Kunal Raj Verma, a resident of Nirsa, Dhanbad. During the raids, authorities recovered a total of 288 grams of the stolen gold, two SUVs, and four mobile phones that were used in the execution of the robbery. Police operations are ongoing to apprehend the remaining accused persons and retrieve the rest of the looted gold.
Significance of the Crime
ASP Pratyush Mohapatra emphasized the gravity of the incident, noting that the crime, which was carried out at gunpoint, stands as one of the largest bank robbery incidents in the region. This highlights the severe nature of the offense and the importance of the successful joint operation in bringing the perpetrators to justice. The collaboration between Odisha and Jharkhand police serves as a model for inter-state law enforcement cooperation in addressing cross-border criminal activities.
