Bhubaneswar, May 30: Motorcycle-borne youths today looted cash worth Rs 8.09lakh at gunpoint from four employees of a petrol pump at Anantpur under Balianta police station on the outskirts of the city.

The employees were going to deposit the money in the Phulanakhara branch of the State Bank of India.

According to the staff of the petrol pump, cashier Dharanidhar Barik and manager Debashis Ray left for the bank on a motorcycle around 10.40 am. Two other colleagues followed them on another motorcycle as escorts.

“We had hardly gone 200 metres from the petrol pump when two youths wearing helmets came from behind on a red coloured numberless motorcycle. They flashed a gun at us asking us to stop. As I stopped the motorcycle out of fear, Debashis started running with the bag. The goons chased him and snatched the bag containing money from him. Since they had a gun, we did not raise an alarm out of fear,” said Dharanidhar. The youths fled towards Niali with the money.

Two other employees of the petrol pump, who were following their colleagues, watched the entire episode helplessly as the anti-socials also threatened to shoot them. They lodged a complaint with the Balianta police.

Police said preliminary investigation pointed to the possible involvement of the petrol pump employees in the incident. Sources said though one Gourachandra Sahu, a relative of a former minister, owned the petrol pump, there were three more partners.

“We interrogated all the employees of the petrol pump. We suspect the role of these employees in the looting incident. How can four of them let the goons go with the money without raising an alarm or challenging them?” asked a police officer.

He said the case was being investigated from all possible angles. “We hope to be able to nab the anti-socials soon,” added the officer.