A gang of eight allegedly diverted the attention of bank staff and left with ₹5 lakh in cash that was kept near the cash counter.

The incident took place at the Chamarajpet branch of a well-known commercial bank on Friday. The incident came to light when Biplob Ghorai, the senior branch manager, was counting the cash at the end of the day.

When staff members cross-checked with the deposit and withdrawal slips, and examined CCTV footage, they realised that they had been robbed.

According to the police, the gang members entered the bank around 10.20 a.m. “They appeared to be following a well laid out plan. They went to each and every counter with queries. In this way, they engaged most of the staff in conversations,” said the police.

A few members stood near the cash counter and pretended to waiting for their turn to withdraw money. One of them struck a conversation with the cashier. He managed to steal a bundle of cash when the cashier turned away from him to deal with a ‘query’ from another gang member.

Ghorai reported the incident to higher-ups before filing a case with the Chamarajpet police.

“We have taken up a case and are trying to identify the accused through CCTV footage from in and around the bank,” said the police.