Bhubaneswar, Aug. 27: Pedestrians today caught two youths and handed them over to police while they were trying to flee after robbing a businessman of cash.

The two goons snatched Rs 25,000 from businessman Anand Chandra Bal, while he was filling up deposit form outside a nationalised bank near Priyadarshini Market at Nayapalli.

Bal said one of the youths reached the spot and started interacting with him.

“A few minutes after the second youth reached the spot, and both of them snatched the cash kept in my trousers pocket. They boarded an autorickshaw and managed to escape,” said Bal.

Bal said he had decided to fill up the deposit form outside the bank, as the bank was crowded.

However, he chased the goons in another autorickshaw and shouted for help. On hearing his screams, a few people informed the police control room. Later, local residents caught both of the accused near Fire Station Square.

However, the autorickshaw driver managed to flee from the spot.

“We heard the screams of a man from an autorickshaw. He was pleading to catch the goons, who were speeding away in another autorickshaw. So, we informed the police and also chased the vehicle,” said Chandan Sahoo, a commuter.

The police said the accused had been identified as Dharamveer Kumar, 23, and Kishore Mahato, 20, both hail from Bihar. “Further investigation is on to ascertain their antecedents,” said inspector in charge of Nayapalli police station Kishore Chandra Mund.

The police suspected that the autorickshaw driver was also an accomplice of the accused as the vehicle was parked near the bank and it immediately took both the accused.

The police advised the people to be cautious while visiting banks to deposit money. “Depositors should fill up deposit forms inside the bank as the banks have their own security personnel,” said a police officer.

Artha Tatwa probe

The CBI today continued its integration of chairman-cum-managing director of Artha Tatwa (AT) Group Pradeep Sethy.

Sources said that during interrogation, Sethy told the central agency that he had started the group with an investment of Rs 35,000, but later the group’s turnover reached to hundreds of crores.

Sources said that the laptop of Sethy, which was seized yesterday, had data related to his monetary transaction with influential persons, including politicians.

Besides, the central agency is planning to conduct raids on other directors, who are yet to be nabbed.

“We will also bring other functionaries of the company who were earlier arrested by the police on remand to extract more information,” said a CBI official.

The CBI is expected to raid establishments of key AT functionaries, who are on the run ever since the central agency took over the probe.