Robbery / Baleshwar Bank Robbery: Three Arrested, Bangladesh Links Exposed

Baleshwar, Aug 3: Baleshwar police have cracked the sensational Odisha Gramya Bank robbery case, arresting three accused from West Bengal and Baleshwar.

The incident, which took place on July 14 at around 2:45 PM, involved five armed miscreants storming into the Rasulpur branch of Odisha Gramya Bank.

The robbers arrived on two motorcycles, threatened staff and customers at gunpoint, and forced employees to open the strong room. They disabled the security alarm, destroyed the CCTV hard disk, and looted ₹2,13,310 before fleeing.

Also read: Gajapati Police Crack ₹5 Lakh Loot in Two Hours

Following intensive investigation, police first arrested Bapi Molla alias Okiyabul Haq from South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

Later, Johan Ali Molla and Satyaban Rana from Khantapada area of Baleshwar were also taken into custody. From Bapi Molla, police recovered ₹7,500 in cash. A wire cutter used in the robbery was also seized from the crime scene.

Baleshwar Additional SP Debjyoti Das confirmed that the arrested individuals have links across the India-Bangladesh border, raising suspicions of wider criminal networks.

Police are continuing their investigation to nab the remaining accused and to probe possible connections with other bank robbery cases in the region.

The daring daylight robbery has sparked concerns about rising organized crime and cross-border links in Odisha. The destruction of CCTV footage and disabling of alarms point to a well-planned operation.

Authorities are now under pressure to strengthen security measures in rural banks, which often remain vulnerable to such attacks.

With three arrests already made, police are confident of tracking down the remaining culprits. The case highlights the growing challenges of tackling organized crime with interstate and international connections.