A gang armed with daggers allegedly entered a petrol pump in Madarihat of Alipurduar district on Friday night and looted around Rs 7 lakh in cash, injuring an employee as he tried to stop the attackers.

Sources said around 10.45pm, five men with faces covered entered the pump in Madarihat Chowpathi off Asian Highway 48 near Jaldapara National Park.

When employee Subhash Oraon tried to stop them, they allegedly slashed his hand. Then they threatened the other staff, opened the vault at the pump’s office, emptied out the cash from there and fled on their bikes.

“We fail to understand how the criminals managed to know exactly where the vault is and that we have kept cash in it,” Tarachand Agarwala, the pump’s owner, said.

A complaint has been filed with the police. Investigations are on.