JAIPUR: The
police constable credited with foiling the country's biggest robbery bid singlehandedly, attributed his heroic act to the call of duty.
Sitaram, 27, thwarted an attempt by 13 armed robbers to steal Rs 925 crore from a private bank on Monday night by firing in the air.
"I am satisfied with what I did during the course of my duty," Sitaram who was on duty at the bank, told TOI on Wednesday. "I was in the bank when I heard voices outside. When I peeped out, I saw 10 to 13 armed men trying to break into the bank. I first warned them and then opened fire from my SLR gun which made them flee," he added.
Rajasthan police have announced an out-of-turn promotion for Sitaram for his bravery and presence of mind..
The bank has also announced a cash reward for him. Sitaram, who uses only one name, is a BA BEd graduate from Sikar who joined
Rajasthan Police in 2015. The constable admitted to being overwhelmed by the accolades being heaped on him.
Police and bankers held an emergency meeting of all city banks at RBI's regional headquarters in Jaipur, following the robbery attempt.
The crime branch of police has taken up the probe. "It was a rookie gang, which hadn't conducted a complete recce of the bank. The fact that they were armed with sticks and lathis indicates that they were amateurs," said a senior police officer. He added that since a single gunshot scared them off, they were probably not expecting armed resistance.
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