Criminals loot Rs 18.9 lakh from LIC manager

Araria: Unknown gunmen on Saturday looted Rs 18.9 lakh from an LIC branch manager at Forbesganj in Bihar`s Araria district, police said.

Police officials said the incident happened when Somnath Mitra was taking the cash from his office at Sadar Bazar area to deposit it at the Bank of Baroda branch located in the same building. A peon from his office was also escorting him. "Four armed men were waiting outside the LIC office. They overpowered Mitra at gunpoint before he could reach the bank located a floor below, and fled with the bag containing the cash," Forbesganj SHO Vipin Kumar said. The SHO added other accomplices of the criminals were waiting on the road with their motorcycles, and all of them sped away in different directions. Police has launched a manhunt to nab the looters. They are also investigating whether the criminals had prior knowledge of the movement of cash from the LIC office.