Five bags full of gold, said to be worth about Rs 10 crore, were looted by a group of armed robbers from the premises of a private finance company here on Wednesday.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Manoj Kumar, said "we are investigating the matter. The employees of the company whose statements are being recorded, have claimed that all the robbers were armed with pistols and they took the manager at gun-point forcing him to hand over the keys to the safe".
The SSP said "The company officials say that the value of the gold looted is nearly Rs 10 crore.".
The robbers, about six in number, were all armed with pistols and they barged into the office of Muthoot Finance in Bhagwanpur locality, after one of them hit the guard Manoj Kumar Jha with the butt of his firearm.
"They came posing as customers, seeking a loan in exchange of gold. As I began guiding them inside, one of them struck the back of my head after which I fell down. I noticed them, while in a semi-conscious state, leaving the premises with bags in their hands. When I came to my senses I realized what had happened," Jha told reporters.
The employees claim that one of them, carrying five bags, filled these with gold kept inside the safe while his associates kept threatening other staff and customers not to raise any alarm. They decamped the premises without causing physical harm to anybody, the SSP said.
"We are, however, investigating the whole thing. An intensive search operation has been launched in the town to identify and nab the culprits", he said.