Balasore: Two individuals were arrested in connection with an attempted robbery at a Gramya Bank near Simulia under Soro Police limits in Balasore district, on Thursday.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Chinmay Kumar Das (33), a resident of Goramati village in Bhadrak district, and Eitu Mandal from Motihari Sadar police limits in West Bengal.
In a press conference today, Balasore SP Raj Prasad assured the public that the remaining suspects would be apprehended soon.
According to the police, Chinmay, while traveling to Andhra Pradesh for work, met Eitu Mandal. During this meeting, the duo planned a robbery. Later, they connected with four other associates, Muna Chaudhary and Ranjit Mandal from West Bengal, as well as Mohammad Jamil Shaikh and Azul Sheikh from Raj Mahal Police Station, Jharkhand.
Two months ago, the group decided to target the Balikhand Gramya Bank. On December 23, 2024, they checked into separate hotels in Bhadrak.
On the evening of December 24, the group purchased gas cutters, oxygen cylinders, and other necessary items from Bhadrak market. They waited in an auto-rickshaw in a field behind the bank until midnight, planning to execute their robbery.
However, their attempt to cut the bank’s safe with a gas cutter was unsuccessful. In response, they threatened the security guard at gunpoint and fled the scene.
Soro Police were alerted to the incident and immediately launched an investigation.
Under the guidance of Balasore SP Raj Prasad, a special team was formed, led by Soro Police Station Officer Prabhanshu Shekhar Mishra. This team successfully apprehended the two accused at Bhadrak Railway Station, while five others involved in the robbery remain at large.
During the investigation, police seized two mobile phones, one small gas cylinder, two oxygen cylinders, two hard disks, and cutting equipment from the arrested suspects.
