Rs4.2 lakh looted from two CSPs in Samastipur

Patna: Armed robbers struck two Customer Service Point (CSP) centres in Samastipur district within a span of three hours on Monday, looting a total of Rs4.2 lakh cash at gunpoint.

In the first incident, five armed men looted Rs3 lakh from an SBI CSP centre at Raipur Bujurg village under Sarairanjan police station area. The accused arrived on two motorcycles and fled after the robbery while brandishing weapons. A woman customer reportedly fainted after seeing pistols in the hands of the robbers.

CSP operator Upendra Mahto said he had opened the centre around 10am as usual. “Around 12 noon, five people entered and immediately pointed weapons at me. There were two to three customers inside at that time. They took around Rs3 lakh kept inside the counter,” Mahto said.

All the accused had covered their faces with ‘gamchas’. CCTV footage showed five men fleeing on two motorcycles after the robbery.

Police from Sarairanjan police station reached the spot after receiving information. Samastipur SP Arvind Pratap Singh also visited the CSP centre and directed officials to arrest the robbers at the earliest.

The SP said a police team had been sent in the direction in which the criminals fled. “They will be arrested soon,” he said, adding that CCTV footage from nearby areas was being scanned to identify the accused.

Around three hours later, another robbery took place at a Central Bank CSP centre at Veersinghpur Chowk under Kalyanpur police station area. Three bike-borne miscreants looted Rs1.2 lakh cash at gunpoint after holding the CSP operator and customers hostage inside the centre.