Sarlahi, January 10:

Armed robbers have looted properties worth Rs 1 million from 102 houses at Bairiyabasti in Sarlahi district last night.

According to the erstwhile chairman of Chhataul VDC, Gaurishanker Shah, a group of 35 dacoits entered the village at midnight and looted Rs 70,000 in cash and ornaments from the house of former chairman of ward no 7, Ram Ekwal Roy, and properties worth Rs 18,000 from the house of the former chairman of Chhataul VDC, Dharkhan Roy.

The dacoits also looted Rs 5,000 in cash and Rs 11,000 worth of ornaments from Bhola Thakur of the same ward. The other persons whose houses were looted are Sabhag Roy, Ramlakhan Roy, Gangaram Roy, Bishwonath Roy and Upendra Roy.

Likewise, armed robbers looted Rs 23, 000 in cash from Garbhu Sahani, Rs 50,000 worth of properties from two brothers, Mukti Roy and Jukti Roy. Shanker Roy and Devnarayan Roy were also looted, Birendra Roy, a local, said.

“The dacoits didn’t spare anything,” said another local, Devendra Shah: “They took away everything form us.” Chhataul VDC lies on the bank of Bagmati river, 22 km west of the district headquarters, Malangwa.

The dacoits, after looting Chhataul VDC were headed for Pipara VDC in Rautahat district, said an eyewitness. Deputy superintendent of police at the District Police Office, Sarlahi, Ram Bahadur Basnet, said he had heard about the lootings but details of the incidents were not known.

A group of armed robbers looted some houses at Barkurwa tole, Raghunathpur village development committee-7, in Dhanusha district last night, a report from Janakpurdham said.

The dacoits were able to make off with cash and properties worth Rs 2 lakhs from the houses of Basir Sheikh, Rafik Sheikh, Shahib Sheikh and Saburlal Dhami.