A gang of eight robbers looted a bank run by an agricultural cooperative society in Malda on Wednesday afternoon.

The miscreants, who were carrying firearms, also opened fire, injuring an employee during the crime and took away around six lakh rupees in cash.

Police got alert and gave chase to the SUV in which the gang members fled. The police also opened fire during the chase, injuring two robbers. Four persons, along with the injured duo, have been arrested so far.

Sources said the gang reached Krishnapur Krishi Samabay Unnayan Samiti Limited bank which is in Krishnapur off the Gazole-Bamangola state highway, under Gazole police station on Wednesday afternoon. They were in an SUV and were carrying firearms and bombs.

“Their faces were masked and they were carrying bags. Five of them entered the bank while three others were on guard at the entrance. Soon after getting into the bank, one of them demanded the vault’s key from the cashier in charge,” said an employee
of the bank.

As they tried to open the vault, the emergency alarm rang. Assuming that the cashier had pressed the alarm, they fired a bullet at him.

The bullet pierced the abdomen of Kshirod Mandal, the 42-year-old accountant who was working as the cashier.

“They fired another round in blank and told us to abstain from pressing the alarm. They then opened the vault and took away around ₹5.92 lakh which was there,” said Santosh Kumar Mandal, the bank’s manager.

The gang members then walked out and were divided into two groups.

Meanwhile, the bank employees rushed Mondal to the local rural hospital. He was later referred to Malda Medical College & Hospital (MMCH).

Ranjan Mandal, a resident of Krishnapur, said the manager of the bank, while being held at gunpoint, had beckoned him to call the police.

“One of the gang members understood the gesture and lobbed a bomb at me. I jumped away and escaped without any injury,” said Ranjan.

A large contingent of police headed towards Sukandighi, an area under Malda police station.

The police team found the SUV left abandoned on the road and realised that the gang members had taken shelter on a mango plantation. When the robbers tried to escape, police opened fire. Two of them were hit by bullets while two others were nabbed.