Two dacoits killed; bid to loot bank foiled in Bokaro: SP

Bokaro/Giridih (Jharkhand), Feb 10 (PTI) Two dacoitswere today killed during an encounter with the police, whofoiled their attempt to loot a nationalised bank in Bokaro, asenior police officer said here.

Attracted by shouts of a bank guard and a customer,who suffered bullet injuries when dacoits fired inside thebranch of Bank of Baroda at sector IV sector city, a policepatrol team rushed to their rescue and exchanged gunfire withthe dacoits, the Superintendent of Police, S K Singh, toldnewsmen.

"Two dacoits were killed on the spot during theencounter which lasted for about two hours," the SP said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police R N Sharma, whoheaded the police team, suffered minor injuries, Singh said.

The injured were admitted to Bokaro General Hospital.

In all four dacoits barged into the bank around 10 am,the SP said and added two of their associates managed to flee.

A total of three guns and a bike were recovered fromthe spot.

In a separate bank loot, unidentified miscreantsentered the SBI branch at Isri Bazaar in neighbouring Giridihdistrict and escaped with Rs 25 lakh, according to policesources in Giridih.

The miscreants threatened the bank staff at gun-pointbefore looting the booty, the sources added.

The police were investigating whether the same groupwas involved in both the incidents.