BARGARH: Unidentified miscreants looted around Rs 40 lakh from a nationalised bank in Bhatli town of Odisha's Bargarh district, police said on Tuesday.
Sources said the miscreants barged into the local branch of Bank of Baroda by breaking the widow pan on Monday night and decamped with the amount from the strong room.
The bank was to be shifted to a nearby building on Wednesday. Apart from the iron chest and other valuables in the strong room, all other furniture and documents were already shifted to the new office.
SDPO Suresh Nayak said though the exact loot amount has not been ascertained yet, but it would be not less than Rs 40 lakh. "The miscreants committed the crime after disconnecting the wire of the CCTV fixed inside the bank," he said.
Meanwhile, a case has been registered following the complaint lodged by the bank's branch manager. A dog squad and scientific team have visited the place of occurrence. Police have launched a manhunt to nab the miscreants.
"We are verifying it from different angles. Involvement of any employee or security guard of the bank is also being looked into. Police stations of nearby areas have been alerted about the crime," the SDPO added.