Bank robberies: India
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Odisha, WB have highest number of bank robberies
Dec 23 2014
Deeptiman Tiwary
At a time when bank robberies have been found to be linked to terror attacks, West Bengal, Odisha, UP and Bihar have been found to top the list on bank robberies. According to latest government data, West Bengal far outstrips competition in terms of sheer number of bank heists. Of the 220 bank robberies reported across the country in 2012, 149 were reported from West Bengal alone with total amount looted standing at 1.07 crore. In 2013, this figure dropped drastically to 10 but amount looted rose to Rs 1.58 crore.
Thus if 2012 and 2013 fig ures are taken together, West Bengal accounted for more than 50% of all bank robber ies in the country.
Notably, investigations into terror cases in the past couple of years have found that a series of attacks in the recent past have been funded through bank robberies. The gang led by SIMI operative Abu Faisal, which escaped Khandwa jail in Madhya Pradesh in October 2013 is suspected to have robbed a State Bank of India branch in Karimnagar, Telangana on February 1, 2014.
Though Faisal was arrested in December, 2014, the gang has gone on to allegedly execute several blasts.
