Meet Sanjiv Kumar, better known as Pappu Singh, who has been a named
A Bihar police constable went about doing his job coolly in between committing bank robberies at regular intervals across the state.
Meet Sanjiv Kumar, better known as Pappu Singh, who has been a named accused in no less than a dozen bank robbery cases in the state, the latest being the loot of Rs.1.25 crore from the cash van of a nationalised bank in Saran district.
The state police officials are apparently baffled to know how he had managed to stay on in the force despite his criminal antecedents.
When he was finally arrested from Bihar Sharif on Monday, he was found to be working there as the security guard in the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police - less than a week after the biggest bank heist in the history of Bihar, allegedly masterminded by him.
Saran Superintendent of Police Sujeet Kumar said that Sanjiv had been named accused in altogether 12 criminal cases, mostly bank dacoities.
"He is an expert in bank robberies," he said. "We have so far unearthed 12 cases in which he has been involved."
The SP said that the constable had been arrested from Bihar Sharif where he was currently posted. "The cop apparently got away with his crime in the past since he has not been dismissed from the service so far," he said.
"It is being probed how he continued to remain in service despite his involvement in so many bank robberies and other crime."
Sujeet said that the constable had been arrested on the basis of solid proof against him in the latest robbery case.
On Wednesday last, about 15 armed robbers had looted Rs.1.20 crore from a cash van of Punjab National Bank after injuring two security guards near Hansrajpur village under Baniapur police station.
The money was being taken from the bank's main branch to its Janata Bazaar branch.
In the course of investigation, the police traced links of Sanjiv's involvement in the latest robbery and discovered that he was seen near the site of crime on the fateful day.
According to police, he was also found to have left his place of duty at Bihar Sharif after applying for leave. A team of Saran police was subsequently sent to Bihar Sharif to arrest him.
The Saran police, however, have not been able to recover the looted money so far. "But we hope to recover it soon after taking Sanjiv on police remand," the SP said.
According to police, cases of bank robberies had been registered against Sanjiv- a resident of Hariharpur village- under several police stations in Saran, Vaishali and Muzaffarpur districts.
In 2007, he was accused of looting Rs.3.5 lakh from a rural bank at Haripur under Khaira police station in Saran district. He had also allegedly looted Rs.2.25 lakh from another rural bank at Chapra the same year.
In 2011, he had allegedly looted a bank under Baniapur police station. Earlier this year, he was accused of looting the Rampur branch of a nationalised bank.
Police sources said that Sanjiv had joined Bihar police as a constable in Muzaffarpur district in 1999 and subsequently served at Hajipur before being transferred to Bihar Sharif.
He is said to have entered the world of crime only a few years after joining the police force when he came into contact of the a few gangsters from Saran.
A Bihar police constable went about doing his job coolly in between committing bank robberies at regular intervals across the state.
Meet Sanjiv Kumar, better known as Pappu Singh, who has been a named accused in no less than a dozen bank robbery cases in the state, the latest being the loot of Rs.1.25 crore from the cash van of a nationalised bank in Saran district.
The state police officials are apparently baffled to know how he had managed to stay on in the force despite his criminal antecedents.
When he was finally arrested from Bihar Sharif on Monday, he was found to be working there as the security guard in the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police - less than a week after the biggest bank heist in the history of Bihar, allegedly masterminded by him.
Saran Superintendent of Police Sujeet Kumar said that Sanjiv had been named accused in altogether 12 criminal cases, mostly bank dacoities.
"He is an expert in bank robberies," he said. "We have so far unearthed 12 cases in which he has been involved."
The SP said that the constable had been arrested from Bihar Sharif where he was currently posted. "The cop apparently got away with his crime in the past since he has not been dismissed from the service so far," he said.
"It is being probed how he continued to remain in service despite his involvement in so many bank robberies and other crime."
Sujeet said that the constable had been arrested on the basis of solid proof against him in the latest robbery case.
On Wednesday last, about 15 armed robbers had looted Rs.1.20 crore from a cash van of Punjab National Bank after injuring two security guards near Hansrajpur village under Baniapur police station.
The money was being taken from the bank's main branch to its Janata Bazaar branch.
In the course of investigation, the police traced links of Sanjiv's involvement in the latest robbery and discovered that he was seen near the site of crime on the fateful day.
According to police, he was also found to have left his place of duty at Bihar Sharif after applying for leave. A team of Saran police was subsequently sent to Bihar Sharif to arrest him.
The Saran police, however, have not been able to recover the looted money so far. "But we hope to recover it soon after taking Sanjiv on police remand," the SP said.
According to police, cases of bank robberies had been registered against Sanjiv- a resident of Hariharpur village- under several police stations in Saran, Vaishali and Muzaffarpur districts.
In 2007, he was accused of looting Rs.3.5 lakh from a rural bank at Haripur under Khaira police station in Saran district. He had also allegedly looted Rs.2.25 lakh from another rural bank at Chapra the same year.
In 2011, he had allegedly looted a bank under Baniapur police station. Earlier this year, he was accused of looting the Rampur branch of a nationalised bank.
Police sources said that Sanjiv had joined Bihar police as a constable in Muzaffarpur district in 1999 and subsequently served at Hajipur before being transferred to Bihar Sharif.
He is said to have entered the world of crime only a few years after joining the police force when he came into contact of the a few gangsters from Saran.