Sarlahi, October 31:

A group of armed robbers looted cash and valuables worth Rs 1.4 million from 70 different houses situated at ward no 6, 7, 8 and 9 of Shiva Nagar Basti of Padariya VDC in Sarlahi district last night. Four people were injured in the incidents.

Shiva Nagar Basti that lies nine km north of the district headquarters Mangalawa was cordoned off by the dacoits from 11 pm last night to 3 am today morning.

The robbers looted property worth Rs 1 million from 50 households of ward no 6, including Rs 1. 5 lakhs in cash from Rajendra Prasad Yadav, Rs 1.5 lakhs in cash and jewellery from Ram Babu Rai and 12 tolas of gold from brothers Shailendra Rai and Satyandra Rai, the outgoing vice-chairman of Padariya VDC, Satya Narayan Rai, said.

The looters made away with Rs 900 in cash and jewellery from Kedar Bharati, Rs 10,000 from Sima Devi Giri and Rs 16,000 in cash jewellery from Subodh Rai of the same ward.

Similarly, the dacoits looted a total of Rs 3 lakhs from 10 houses of ward no 7.

Also, a total of Rs 50,000 in cash was looted from seven houses of ward no 8 and 0.5 lakhs from three houses in ward no 9.

Shivaji Baitha, Bhagya Narayan Bharati and Sanjeev Kumar Yadav of Ward no 6 and Shankar Shah Teli of Ward no 9 were injured during the robbery as dacoits beat them

up with bamboo batons. The injured are undergoing treatment at local health centre.

Health Assistant at District Health Office, Saroj Kumar Yadav, who had come home to celebrate Tihar and Chhath, said, “The dacoits took away all the money I saved from my salary.” He said the dacoits had been masked.

After their looting spree, the robbers divided the booty among themselves at Lakhandehi riverbank, which is at a distance of 200 meters from the village, Ram Yadav, an eyewitness, said.

The looters left behind axes, khukuris, hammers and other tools at the riverbank, Rakesh Kumar Bharati, a local, said. SP Manohar Rimal said the locals had not informed the police about the lootings on time, though they had telephone facility, adding, “the loss may not be as great as the villagers claim.”