Mysuru (Karnataka) (PTI): A gang of armed robbers allegedly assaulted two employees of a gas station and looted Rs 15,300 from its office in this district, police said on Saturday.

The incident occurred on the night of February 12 night at Swamy Service fuel station in Karimuddanahalli village in the Hunsur taluk of Mysuru district, they said.

The assault was captured on the petrol bunk’s CCTV cameras, with the footage showing the accused engaging in a physical scuffle with the cashier.

The video has since surfaced online and is being widely shared across social media platforms.

According to the FIR, the cashier, identified as Ajay Kumar, who has been working for the past four years at the fuel station alleged that at around 9:49 pm on February 12, a man in his 20's first came to the fuel station on the pretext of filling a water bottle. He returned shortly thereafter and enquired about diesel.

Kumar informed him that the pumps had been shut for the night, but told him that pre-filled five-litre diesel cans were available. The man allegedly took a photograph of the bunk’s Paytm scanner, claiming that his friends would transfer the money and that he would return shortly to collect the fuel, the complaint stated.

"At about 10:22 pm, the same person allegedly arrived along with four others in a car and pretended to seek diesel. Around 10:33 pm, all five allegedly barged into the office armed with a dagger and a machete, assaulted the cashier and another staff member, Dinesh, and demanded cash," the FIR read.

During the scuffle, one of the accused allegedly forcefully snatched Rs 15,300 from the cashier’s pocket. The complainant managed to escape and raised an alarm, following which the accused fled in the car, leaving behind a machete in the office in their hurry, the FIR further stated.

The cashier sustained injuries to his left shoulder and back, while Dinesh suffered injuries to his forehead and right ear. Later, both went to a nearby hospital, the FIR stated.

Police have registered a case under section 310 (2) (dacoity) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and launched a search to nab the accused.

Further investigation is underway, they said.

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Bhubaneswar (PTI): The BJD on Saturday accused the BJP government in Odisha of not making any effort to fulfil the 2014 poll promise of a special category status for the state, and urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to clarify on the long-standing issue.

Addressing a press conference here, BJD MP Sasmit Patra claimed that Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary had on February 10 said in the Rajya Sabha that there was "no proposal under consideration" of the Centre for granting the special category status to Odisha.

“We need clarification from the chief minister. The BJP, in its 2014 election manifesto, had specified that if it came to power, the party would work towards special category status for Odisha. But the BJP government has not moved an inch to fulfil the poll promise," Patra alleged.

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He challenged the chief minister to get a nod from the state cabinet during its meeting this evening so that the state can place a demand for the special category status before the Centre.

The special category status for Odisha is a long-standing demand.

"The issue was raised for the first time in the National Development Council (NDC) in 1979. Thereafter, the assembly passed several resolutions for the special category status for Odisha, as the state often faces natural calamities and therefore requires special financial assistance to boost development. Resolutions to this effect were passed in the 10th and 11th assembly," an official said.

The previous BJD government had also undertaken a massive signature campaign, involving nearly one crore people, which was submitted to the then President.