Criminal wanted in several bank heists held in Bihar’s Purnea

Patna: The Bihar police have arrested a wanted bank robber from a village in Purnea, an official said on Saturday.

Accused Raja Sahani alias Munna Michel was active in many districts of Bihar including his native place in Begusarai. He was involved in a bank heist in Darbhanga and looted Rs 1.10 crore. Similarly, he looted Rs 60 lakh from a bank in Khagaria, Rs 70 lakh from Araria, Rs 42 lakh in Khagaria, and Rs 20 lakh in Madhubani among others.

Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Purnea Surendra Kumar Saroj confirmed Sahani’s arrest on Saturday. The raid was conducted on Friday.

“The accused recently took a house on rent in Jafri Nagar under Milki Tola Panchayat in Purnea district. We received a tip-off about a person having suspicious activities. Accordingly, we constituted a team to raid at the place. After seeing the police team, Raja Sahani and one of his aides tried to escape from the spot. Raja Sahani was nabbed by the police team but his associate managed to escape,” Saroj said.

During interrogation, he confessed the crime.

Revealing his modus operandi, he said that he used to go to various districts and contact local criminals with fake identity. He becomes the kingpin of the gang and commits the crime. He used to make “meticulous” plans to commit bank or petrol pump robbery and leaves the district after committing the crime. Even if local criminals get arrested, they do not know the real identity of Sahani.

“Sahani was involved in murder of a fuel station owner Laxmi Narayan Singh during the loot bid in Hardaria locality in Begusarai district. Begusarai police managed to arrest seven local criminals but they could not nab Sahani as his original identity was not known by the local criminals of Begusarai,” Saroj said.

The accused had taken a room on rent in an isolated locality of Jafri Nagar four days ago. Sahani used to go to a farm land in the evening and stay there for long hours. The local villagers suspected his activity and informed the police. “He goes to farm land to contact local criminals on the phone so that no one could listen to his plan,” Saroj said.