Mahesh Bharadwaj. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Dec. 16: Barely two days after police re-launched its motorcycle patrolling system, unidentified goons today looted Rs 8 lakh from an employee of a private transport company in the city.

Around 1pm, when Mahesh Bharadwaj, 35, an employee of Mahanadi Vihar-based Rakesh Road Carriers Limited, was returning after withdrawing cash from a bank at Bajrakabati Road, goons robbed him off and fled.

“Two motorcycle-borne goons snatched the bag containing the cash near the NCC office main gate located in front of the Cuttack railway station,” said Bharadwaj. The motorcyclists came from the wrong side and fled towards OMP Square. “The criminals were not wearing helmets or masks,” he said.

Officials of the transport company said that usually two persons withdraw cash from the particular bank. But today, the cashier had gone alone on his motorcycle.

“We suspect that the goons were tracking our movements, as we withdraw money at regular intervals from the bank,” said manager Jagbir Singh.

Senior officials of the city police sealed various exit routes, but are clueless. Only on Saturday, the police had armed the city control room with 23 high-power motorcycles to put a check on such incidents. It is the first major loot incident in the last few months. The goons had looted Rs 3.60 lakh from two employees of a private company near OMP Square on January 14.

On January 16, a 40-year-old trader was shot dead by an unidentified goon, who decamped with Rs 1.5 lakh on the NH-5 near Tangi.