Major Breakthrough in Barbil Bank of Maharashtra Heist: Two Accused Arrested in Dhanbad
Barbil: The sensational armed robbery at the Bank of Maharashtra, Barbil branch, has taken a dramatic turn with the arrest of two accused in Dhanbad through a joint operation by Odisha and Jharkhand police.
According to police sources, the robbers stormed into the strong room at gunpoint and looted 4,38,700 in cash along with 155 packets containing 6.4 kilograms of gold. In their haste, however, the gang left behind 51 packets of customers’ gold inside the strong room, highlighting the panic and disarray during the crime.
Following the incident, Barbil police registered Case No. 29/26 under Section 310(2) BNS and Sections 25/27 of the Arms Act. Since then, police teams have been relentlessly pursuing the culprits.
During the investigation, Keonjhar Additional Superintendent of Police Pratyush Mohapatra led a team to Dhanbad, where, in collaboration with local police, raids were conducted in Sindri and Nirsa areas.
Two suspects were apprehended: Raja Kumar Singh (27), originally from Jamui, Bihar, currently residing in Chasnala, Dhanbad, and Kunal Raj Verma (33), a resident of Nirsa, Dhanbad.
From them, police recovered 288 grams of gold, two Scorpio vehicles, and four Android mobile phones. Investigations revealed that the duo acted as a driver and gold purchaser in support of the main gang.
Despite this breakthrough, the six prime accused remain at large, and police teams continue their search.
Upon returning to Barbil, the arrested suspects were paraded in a road march before being taken to the police station, a move welcomed by local citizens.
Barbil SDPO Devendra Nath Pingua assured that police teams are working tirelessly and expressed confidence that all remaining culprits will soon be brought to justice.
