Man robbed of Rs 1.5 lakh cash in Sohna

A Sohna resident was robbed of Rs 1.5 lakh cash by an unidentified man after luring him to another bank nearby on the pretext of helping the complainant fill a deposit slip at a bank on Friday morning, the police said.

According to the police, Gopal Saini, a 50-year-old farmer and a resident of Sohna, had visited Punjab National Bank’s Sohna City branch around 10:30am on Friday to deposit the cash. He was standing near the counter and filling up a second deposit form after making a mistake in the first one, the police said.

“A man in his late-twenties approached me and offered to help. As there was a rush at the counter and I had already made a mistake, I agreed. The man asked me to come near the gate so that he can fill the details easily and I followed him,” Saini said.

Saini believed him and handed over the bundles of cash to him. The suspect, in return, allegedly asked him to hold Rs 4 lakh of his, which was wrapped in a handkerchief.

Meanwhile, the suspect requested him to accompany him to another bank nearby, in the meanwhile, to deposit his cash, as the queue was long and it would take some time. The victim assented and accompanied him.

“While walking, the man kept the money in his pocket and ran from the spot. Before Saini could raise an alarm, the man was gone,” Shamsher Singh, assistant commissioner of police (crime), said.

When Saini opened the suspect’s bundle, he found fake notes, and he then approached the police.

The police are trying to identify the suspect with the help of CCTV camera footage.

“We have recovered footage from the bank and a nearby shop. His face is not as clear as he was wearing a cap. We have informed crime teams, and are hopeful he will be caught soon,” Singh said.

A case under sections 379 (snatching) and 420 (fraud) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at Sohna police station.

First Published: Mar 03, 2019 04:43 IST