Armed criminals looted Rs 5 lakh at gunpoint from one Nirmal Kumar Bothra, a trader, at Gola Road under Muzaffarpur police station at 11.30am on Monday. Bothra had stepped out of his house (in picture) with the money in a bag, when three criminals on motorcycles accosted him. “They pointed the pistols at my forehead,” said Bothra. The criminals managed to escape, brandishing the firearms. An FIR has been lodged. Additional superintendent of police (town) Vikas Varman visited the site of the incident to investigate. Policemen from town, Mithapur, Barhampur and Ahiyapur police stations have started checking vehicles in Sikandarpur in a bid to arrest the criminals. The quick response team, formed by the new senior superintendent of police Rajesh Kumar also swung into action to recover the cash. No one has been arrested so far. Text by Khwaja Jamal, picture by Prakash Kumar