Around 1:40 PM on Monday, three armed dacoits looted the Odisha Grameen Bank branch at Bhikampali in Lakhanpur block of Jharsuguda district. They fled with approximately ₹50,000 in cash, though the exact amount is yet to be confirmed.
According to a Times of India report, a regular customer named Bipin Sahu (47) said he had gone to the bank to deposit money. As he was coming out, he saw three men wearing helmets and holding guns enter the bank. They forced him and others back inside and took everyone’s mobile phones. However, Bipin managed to hide his phone under a seat and keep it safe.
The bank manager, whose phone was not taken, quickly informed the Rengali police. After the robbery, the police sealed the border areas between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and also blocked roads going toward Sundargarh. A search operation has been launched to catch the robbers.