The place where robbers shot at Rath in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, July 20: Two men on a motorcycle fired at a businessman and allegedly snatched Rs 10 lakh in cash from him outside his office at Unit-VI near Kali Mandir today.

The victim, Haresh Prasad Rath, 40, of Saheed Nagar was first taken to Capital Hospital. But his condition deteriorated and he was then rushed to a private hospital. Rath’s firm Sachidanand Traders owns the distributorship of Hindustan Unilever Limited cosmetic products in Khurda, Cuttack and Nayagarh and has a yearly turnover or more than Rs 10 crore.

Around 10.55am, Rath walked out of his Unit-VI office and was about to drive away in his car that was parked barely 10 metres from the office gate. Two youths on a red motorcycle stopped nearby. Before Rath could realise what was happening, the pillion-rider broke the car’s window glass and fired at him from a revolver. Then they snatched the bag of cash and cheques and fled through the road behind Bhubaneswar Club and drove away towards the Raj Bhavan Square.

Security guard Haladhar Behera, who was stationed at the gate, said Rath had asked him to go inside for some work. “I had just entered the office when I heard the sound of firing. I rushed out and saw two men speeding away on a motorcycle and our boss heading towards the gate bleeding profusely,” said Behera.

The company staff rushed Rath to Capital Hospital. He was later moved to a private hospital where the bullet that had pierced his right palm and entered the right abdomen was removed.

Raj Kumar Guru, who owns a salon nearby, said he saw two men on a motorcycle fleeing from the lane. “They were riding so fast and recklessly that they would have run over kids playing there. We later came to know they were criminals,” said Guru. He said while the driver was wearing a helmet, the pillion-rider did not have one and he could identify him from photographs.

A police team from Capital police station and the forensic team visited the spot and inspected Rath’s car.

Prasanna Panda, an employee of the firm, said either Rath, or his brother Girish, took the cash to a bank at Saheed Nagar. “As Girish was not present today, Rath took the money to deposit it,” said Panda, adding that the amount was Rs 10 lakh.

Deputy commissioner of police Nitinjeet Singh said a special squad police had been pressed into action to conduct raids and arrest the accused duo. However, he said the amount of loot was around Rs 2.32 lakh and not Rs 10 lakh.

“We have recorded the statement of the victim. Our teams are trying to apprehend the accused,” said Singh.

The police suspect that an insider had leaked the information about Rath’s movements. They questioned the office staff and local residents.

Businessmen in the city were critical of the police and said such incidents were taking place regularly. “In the past few months, over 20 traders have been looted in the city at gunpoint or through other means. We do not feel safe,” said Sudhakar Panda, chairman of Bhubaneswar Merchants Association, adding that they would meet top police officials regarding this. Even the general public are feeling insecure. “There is virtual lawlessness. Criminals have been targeting common people every now and then. They snatch away gold ornaments from women or loot at gunpoint or fire at people without any fear,” said Gayatribala Mohanty, a woman from Nayapalli whose gold chain was snatched away a few days ago.

Director general of police Prakash Mishra had recently admitted that the availability of guns to petty criminals has become a headache for the police. “We are trying to take stern action against these criminals,” he had said.